Love Survives
by diseased mind
Summary: Seamus and draco have been secretly dating Their relationship is exsposed & events conspire to break them apart Will their relationship be sundered or will love survive? Start is set in 5th yearSLASH NB.started writing before book5not all events correlate
1. secrets

Chapter 1 Secrets

Seamus strode into the Gryffindor common room with a maniacal grin spread across his face. He was in a **very **good mood.

"You've been snogging again haven't you?" Harry demanded. He knew Seamus was seeing someone, but he had no idea whom it was. It didn't bother Harry that Seamus hadn't told him who it was. If Seamus wanted some privacy that was his choice. Merlin knew privacy was a rare thing at Hogwarts.

Seamus grinned. "What gave it away?" he asked. He was always really happy and relaxed when he returned from these rendezvous. It was as if this time drained all the stress out of him.

"Oh I don't know." Harry replied to the question as to the blonde's give away. "Maybe it's my unrivalled powers of deduction. Or maybe it's because there is this 'just been snogged' glow which radiates from you. Or it could just be that hickey growing on the side of your neck." Harry ended anticlimactically. Seamus was deluding himself if he thought he could hide a hickey of that monstrous size. Hearing Harry's last statement and noticing said hickey; Fred and George walked over to the two boys, being careful to draw as much attention as possible.

"George, did you know Seamus has a GIRLFRIEND?" Fred asked as loudly as he could, looking around to see who had noticed.

"No Fred," George replied "I did not know that Seamus has a girlfriend." George's answer was louder than his twin's question, to ensure every person in the room had heard. A few people were looking over in their direction, curiosity clearly written on their faces.

"I do not have a girlfriend!" Seamus denied loudly. Seamus cursed. If Fred and George had noticed, then they would soon ensure that everyone else did as well. All the people in the room who had noticed Seamus hickey stared at him in total disbelief. Not a single one of them believed him.

"OH, well George, he says he does not have a GIRLFRIEND." Fred emphasised the last word "He's our friend he wouldn't lie to us. But where did he get this hickey? These things don't come out of thin air you know."

"If Seamus does not have a girlfriend then there is only one explanation I can think of Fred," replied George "And that is that Seamus must have a boyfriend. I mean after all, someone had to give him that mother of a hickey." At this every person who wasn't already watching the exchange look up at the four boys. Seamus began to turn a brilliant shade of fuchsia. He knew his secret was about to be revealed.

"I do not have a boyfriend." He denied weakly in a lame attempt to keep his secret. Fred, George, Harry and every other person in the room gave Seamus a look that said they did not believe a word of it. Seamus always had been a terrible liar.

"Are you sure about that?" the twins asked, already know the truth of the situation.

"Yes?" the questioning tone in his answer was that was needed for Fred, George, Harry and everyone else to be convinced. "Who is it? Who is your boyfriend?" the twins demanded loudly.

"Has anyone ever told you two that you can be quite scary when you get like this?" Seamus tried lamely to change the subject.

"Yes they have, and you're changing the subject. Who is he?" Fred demanded.

I'm not changing the subject because I'm not going to tell you!" Seamus replied defensively. Silently he was cursing his boyfriend's carelessness, which had landed him in this situation. If he'd just been a little more careful not to leave a mark like Seamus had asked… Seamus sighed, resigned to his fate as the towers latest item of gossip.

"Why won't you tell us who your boyfriend is?" George whined loudly, confident in the knowledge that eventually he would find out who this boy was.

"I'm not going to tell you, because if I tell you, you will tell the whole of Hogwarts." Seamus replied. "He has a point there." Fred conceded. "If he doesn't want the whole of Hogwarts to know who his boyfriend is, then he probably shouldn't tell us."

"Yes, but that's still no reason to keep secrets from us. Where supposed to be his friends! He's supposed to what to tell us who his boyfriend is." George argued, emphasising the last statement to make sure everyone heard

"He's trying to keep the identity of his new boyfriend a secret." Fred argued back loudly "That's a perfectly good reason to keep secrets from us. If he wanted to spread a rumour, then he would tell us. Merlin knows we're good at that." The twin's argument had attracted quite a curious crowd whom were all demanding to know who Seamus' new boyfriend was. Fred and George quietly congratulated themselves.

"I'm not telling you, so you may as well stop asking." Seamus replied to the bombardment of questions that were being thrown at him. "Is it Harry?" a voice called from amidst the crowd.

"I already said that I am not telling." Seamus re-established. "Is it Ron? I bet it's Ron." When Seamus did not respond to this the questions began to be directed not so much to him, but to anyone who was willing to answer.

"Is it Dean?" "Which house is he in?" "Is he in your year?" As the stream of questions appeared not to be quelling, Seamus glared at the trouble-making twins. At the sight of his classmates' distress, it took all of Harry's limited self-control to keep from laughing. "Look everyone," Seamus called over all the other voices. There was a slight expectant hush. Enough of a lowering of volume so that everyone could hear. "I'm not going to tell you who it is, so you're just going to have to work it out for yourselves." Realising his mistake too late, Seamus groaned. Every last person in the room had heard what he had just said, and they were all willing to take up the challenge. They were never going to give up. Fred and George grinned. They couldn't have done it better themselves.

"Cheer up," Fred ordered "Its not all bad."

"No," George continued "At least you've given everyone something to do while the weather is too awful to go outside. It's a pity it means you and your boyfriend won't have a minute's privacy until everyone knows." Seamus looked over towards Harry for support. The dark-haired boy merely shrugged and laughed.

At the beginning of lunch the next day, only two students remained in the Potions classroom after the others had left. They made the most of the rare opportunity for privacy. "We'll do it a dinner in the Great Hall." One whispered to the other.

"I don't see why we have to do this at all." The other objected. He resented that he was being force to do something he wasn't altogether comfortable with.

"We need to do this because if we don't, we will not have a moment of privacy until everyone finds out." He tried to explain "At least this way we are in control and we can maintain some degree of dignity. If we tell them, then they just might leave us alone."

"And if we do this, it's more than likely I will be taken out of school." It was obvious he was afraid of this happening.

"It'll be all right." The other boy reassured him. He quickly squeezed the other boy's hand and they went their separate ways.

Seamus arrived in the Great Hall that evening after everyone else had arrived. As Seamus walked to the front of the hall a murmur began to spread through the room. There was something in the air. Everyone could feel that something was about to happen. At least he knew he had their attention. Seamus reached the front of the Hall and muttered "Here goes nothing." He stood in front of the teachers' table facing the students. He coughed to clear his throat.

"I know a lot of wild rumours have been flying around about any relationship I may be having." At his he stared directly at Fred and George, accusation written clearly across his face. They looked down guiltily at their plates, trying their hardest not to laugh at Seamus' discomfort. Seamus continued "As a result of the curiosity of some, no, most of the students of this school, our privacy has suffered. Because of this, we have decided to go public in the hope that you will all leave us alone." With that he reached out into seeming nothingness and dragged something towards him. He started to kiss his boyfriend. The invisibility cloak fell away to reveal…

Draco Malfoy.

There was a stunned silence.


	2. reactions

Chapter 2 Reactions

In the boy's dorm, Harry was fuming. He had not taken Seamus' revelation at dinner very well. He'd felt betrayed.

"What the hell are you thinking?" he yelled at the top of his voice. He could not believe that this situation would have occurred.

"What's your problem Harry? Why can't you just be happy for me? It's because I'm dating a guy isn't it. Jeez Harry, you're such a homophobe!"

"It's not because you are dating another guy" Harry interrupted his defensive tirade "It's because you're dating THAT guy! How could you do that? I thought you had more sense than that!"

"How dare you make that…" Seamus was interrupted by Dean opening the door.

"Would you boys please keep your voices down," he requested "or would you prefer the entire school to hear you fighting?" As Dean left, Seamus continued in a significantly lower tone. "How dare you make that judgement about him." Seamus almost whispered "You don't even know him."

"I know him well enough." Harry said bitterly.

"You don't know him at all!" Seamus was on the verge of hysteria. How could Harry be so insensitive? "I thought you would be mature enough to see past your emotions and preconceptions, but apparently your not. He's not like everyone thinks." Seamus pleaded "if he didn't have so many people expecting him to be and act a particular way, he wouldn't have to pretend to be so cruel and distant." Seamus could see it was futile. No matter what he said, Harry was not prepared to believe any different of Draco.

Harry shook his head. _/You really believe that, don't you/ _Hethought to himself. /_Malfoy had better watch himself. If he hurts Seamus I won't be the only one after his head./_ Aloud he said "Look, I don't want to fight anymore. I won't try and stop you seeing Malfoy, but I won't approve of your relationship either. Just promise me that you'll be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt. Okay?" Seamus just nodded, tired of fighting, and Harry left the room. As Harry closed the door behind him, Seamus threw himself onto the bed.

"Oh Harry," he sighed, a headache building from the stress he was under "what you don't realise is that with the attitude I am receiving from you and the other housemates, you're going to end up hurting me more than Draco ever could. I love him and you don't seem to realise that. I only wish I could make you understand." His headache was worsening. That combined with the emotional exhaustion brought on from trying to defend his boyfriend sent the young Gryffindor into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, in the dungeons, things weren't going much better for Draco.

"You disgust me!" Blaise fumed "You're dating a MALE GRYFFINDOR! Could you possibly sink any lower!" he demanded rhetorically "What would your father do if he found out?" Blaise's tirade had continued like this for about twenty minutes, and Draco had long since tired of it.

"Well we'll soon fine out won't we?" Draco interrupted "By now at least half a dozen of you must have sent letters to my father informing him of what has happened this evening. Not that it's any of your business what I do and who I choose to spend my time with." With that he rose and left the Slytherin common room. He knew he'd been expecting too much to hope that his housemates would be supportive. Draco doubted that even Seamus' housemates would be able to accept the situation and they were much more open-minded than the Slytherin's tended to be. He hated knowing that the people who were supposed to be the most important to him could not accept him unless he pretended to be who they wanted him to be. Draco entered his dorm and collapsed onto his bed. /_I'll be fine/ he thought /as long as father doesn't pull me out of school. If I have to live with people who can't love me for who I am then I want to do it with Seamus. I don't think I can cope with what my father would demand of me if he removes me from Hogwarts./ he_ sighed wearily and closed his eyes, drifting of into an exhausted sleep.

Professor Snape pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. This whole situation was giving him a headache. "Well there's no way we're going to be able to keep this from his father." Snape informed the headmaster. "And there is no way Lucius Malfoy is going to allow his son to remain at a school which allows him to have anything other than a purely platonic relationship with another boy. Even that he would demand only come from a Slytherin."

"Yes." Dumbledore agreed. "There is nothing we can do to prevent Lucius from removing his son from this school if that's what he chooses. We have to convincing him that he doesn't need to remove Draco. If young Malfoy is removed from the sight of the Order, there is nothing stopping Lucius turning his son into a Death Eater, using whatever means necessary."

"Draco may be strong when he needs to be, but he could never resist Lucius if he decided to provide his son with 'home tutoring.' This is such a mess. What are we going to do Albus?" The Potions master asked.

"We wait." He replied "and see what Lucius does next." Snape was not happy with this option, but he did not argue.

It was the fifth such letter he'd received that evening. Not only was his son gay, by he was flaunting it in front of his schoolmates. Lucius thought it was bad enough that his son was having a 'relationship' with another boy. He'd never imagined that it could be worse. No, his son was such a disappointment. Not only was he gay, he was dating a mudblood Gryffindor. Lucius felt that the combination of the two was a concept so vile that he felt physically ill just thinking about it. At that moment Narcissa entered her husbands study.

"Have you seen this?" Lucius demanded as he threw one of the letters at his wife. "That son of yours is a filthy fag!" He turned and stormed over towards the window and stared into the blackness of the night.

"He's your son too!" Narcissa snapped. She had received similar letters and was not having an apoplectic fit like her husband was. Then again, she had always made a point of doing and behaving the opposite way to her husband, even if this was only to rile him. Lucius ignored his wife's comment. "I'm going to Hogwarts tomorrow to sort out this mess. If that interfering, senile old fool can't keep that mudblood away from my son I will take him out of that school." Narcissa smiled to herself. If that was what he wanted, then Narcissa was determined to have Draco remain at Hogwarts.


	3. Aftermath

Chapter 3 – Aftermath

At breakfast, Seamus watched his boyfriend from across the hall. He had mixed feelings about his actions the night before. He no longer had to hide his attraction to other guys, but no one seemed entirely comfortable with just who it was he was attracted to. /_Oh Draco/ _he sighed _/it seems like the whole world would be only too willing to keep us apart. I know things are going to be hard, but don't give up./ _ Seamus' thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of morning post. As he watched Draco, he was the other boy's expression darken as he read a letter. _/It must be from his father./ _Seamus thought as the other boy rose and left the table. Seamus followed after, hoping to catch the Slytherin and finding out what his father had to say.

Seamus ambushed Draco outside the Great Hall. "What's the matter?" he demanded, his tone suggesting that he wouldn't leave until he was happy with the explanation.

"Nothing." Draco lied lamely. Seamus wasn't convinced.

"I saw you at breakfast." He told the blond "and I saw your reaction to the letter you were reading. I know something is wrong, so what is it?"

"This!" the frustrated Slytherin threw the offending letter at Seamus and continued before the Gryffindor had a chance to read it. "My father is here! He's **ORDERED** me to meet him in Dumbledore's office after breakfast!" Draco was livid. As he stormed of Seamus struggled to keep up with Draco and read the note at the same time.

Draco

I have been informed of this disgusting relationship you are having with this Gryffindor mudblood bastard. I had thought you were old enough to know better than to get involved in something like this, but obviously I was wrong.

I'll be at Hogwarts talking to Dumbledore in the morning and I'll expect you to be in his office after breakfast to explain yourself. In the meantime I expect you to keep away from that brat.

Seamus groaned. He should have know that Lucius Malfoy would waste no time removing his son from the presence of the boy who had 'seduced' him. His attention was brought back to Draco as the other boy's tirade continued. "Nothing I ever do is good enough for him, you know that?" he asked rhetorically "As long as I'm doing things that bring him honour he treats me like a human being. If I do anything he disapproves of he makes me feel worthless." Seamus hated to see the other boy so upset. Draco loved and trusted him enough to open his heart to him, and he couldn't do a thing to take the pain away. Draco took a deep breath and sighed.

"You'd better not come. It'll only make things worse."

"Are you sure?" Seamus asked reluctantly. Draco nodded. This was something he had to do on his own. He kissed Seamus chastely of the lips and turned and walked away. _/take care Draco/ _Seamus sent silently _/I would hate to loose you./_

Draco walked into Dumbledore's office and saw his father with the headmaster and Professor Snape. "Could you give me a moment alone with my son?" Lucius drawled. It wasn't really a request. Snape looked at Dumbledore who nodded, and the pair left the room. Draco swallowed nervously.

"Is there something going on here which you have neglected to inform me?" Lucius' voice was dangerously low.

"Nothing you don't already know." Draco replied equally as coldly. Even as he tried to hold up the false bravado, his mind was reeling. Any other father would have at least greeted their son, even if they were angry with the child. Draco resented that the first words his father had said to him were accusatory.

"Oh that's right," Lucius continued, ignorant of his son's lapse of attention "you've allowed yourself to be seduced by some worthless mudblood Gryffindor."

"His name's Seamus" Draco's defensiveness was reflex "and he's not worthless. Nor did he seduce me. If anything it was the other way around." Lucius turned red with rage. Stupidity expressed by Draco allowing himself to be seduced he could have eventually forgiven. This was so very much worse. Lucius' rage was uncontrollable and he punched Draco who in turn went flying across the room, a large bruise already starting to bloom on his left cheek. Lucius swept across the room towards his son.

"How dare you bring disgrace upon this family. Do you have any idea what I have been through to bring you up?" Draco's anger was also growing. This was the way it always was with his father. The man didn't really love him, and as Draco's anger grew so did his courage.

"Not much," he responded from his position sprawled across the floor "since it was mother and the servants who were responsible for most of my upbringing." Lucius bent over and dragged his son to his knees by his hair.

"I don't care whether you like me or not." He threatened "But you will respect me, and you will obey me." Draco accented, struggling to hide his pain.

"Good boy." The death eater replied, releasing his grip on the boy's hair and patting him on the cheek. "Now you will stay away from this mudblood. I'll have people watching you to make sure. Never doubt that. You don't want to know what I will do if I find out you have disobeyed me." Draco rose to his feet as Dumbledore and Snape reentered the room. Lucius turned to the older man. "I trust you will keep this… this…"

"Seamus" his son replied, earning a heart-quelling glare.

"This Seamus" Lucius sneered "away from my son in future."

"As you wish." Dumbledore replied, hoping to placate the man.

"Oh I do." The death eater drawled "If you don't, I will have no problem removing my son from this school. If I were to do that we all know many others would be more than happy to follow suit." Dumbledore remained unresponsive to this threat. He'd expected something like this, and there really wasn't much he could do. If Lucius wished to remove Draco from Hogwarts, then he had that right, and there was nothing Dumbledore could do to stop him. "I'm surprised at you." Lucius said turning on Snape. "As house patron I'd have thought you'd have noticed this was happening."

As he passed Draco on his way out of the room he added one last thing. "I'll be expecting you to send my invisibility cloak home. I'd like to be sure that you aren't disobeying me." With that he swept out of the room. _/That would be right/ _Draco thought bitterly _/I don't deserve a greeting so of course it would be expecting too much for a farewell. After all, I am only his son. It's not like I'm someone important to him./_

Draco returned to the Slytherin dorms to collect his books for his first lesson. As the door closed behind him Snape turned to the headmaster. "Did you see the bright red mark on his face?"

"Yes" Dumbledore replied "we'll have to keep a close eye on him. No one really knows what Lucius Malfoy is really capable of."


	4. Potions

Chapter 4 Potions

Seamus didn't see Draco until their Potions lesson just before lunch. He noticed the bruise on Draco's left cheek and wondered when that had happened. _/It's probably got something to do with me./_ he thought sadly. Seamus penned a short note, caught the other boy's eye and held the note where he could see it.

"Accio note." The Slytherin sighed and the piece of parchment flew across the room towards him.

_So how did that thing go with your father this morning? Did he take it as badly as you thought? And where did you get that whopping great bruise on the side of your face?_

Draco groaned internally. He knew Seamus would want to know. How did you explain to someone that you couldn't see him anymore, and that it was for his own good? _/I don't care what he does to me./ _Draco thought bitterly _/But if my father touches so much as one solitary hair on Seamus' head I will never forgive him./ _Draco's chain of thought was broken as Harry and Ron rushed into the classroom late as usual, followed closely by the Potions master. Draco wrote quickly.

_I can't talk now. I'll meet you tonight._

_Astronomy tower, midnight_

He looked at Seamus who retrieved the note. The Gryffindor's expression darkened at having to meet in secret, but he nodded his agreement. _/Good. That gives me enough time to get my housemates drunk enough that they'll either pass out, or will be physically incapable of following me./_

"Have you seen the mark on the side of Draco's head?" Harry whispered to Seamus. Seamus looked blandly at him, but said nothing. He thought it was a bloody stupid question. Of course he'd noticed it. How could you not? Harry did not pick up on Seamus' mood, and continued gossiping "Did you also know that Lucius was here this morning?"

Again, Seamus just looked at Harry who continued. "Would you be surprised to learn that Draco gained that bruise between breakfast and arriving in Herbology first thing this morning?"

"No, not really." Seamus sighed, and finally, Harry picked up on the other boy's behaviour.

"So you think Lucius did it do you?" Ron sounded disappointed. He'd been hoping that another student had grown tired of Draco's snide remarks and smashed him one.

"Well Lucius is a cruel and heartless bastard. It wouldn't exactly be out of character would it?" Seamus snapped. It was a stupid bloody question he thought. He could not believe his friends could be so thick. He also hated that they seemed to gain so much pleasure out of Draco's misery.

"I'm not so sure. Why would he hit his own son?" Ron still wasn't convinced and Seamus just rolled his eyes at him. Ron just never could understand that there were some families who weren't as close as his was. Draco had told Seamus about his father's abusive behaviour during many late night conversations. These deep conversations were only on of the traits that led Seamus to believe that there was more to the Slytherin than people gave him credit.

"Finnigan!" Snape snapped interrupting the boy's musings "Do you need a personal invitation to hand up your homework assignment?" Seamus looked blankly at the Professor. He could not recall having been given a homework assignment. "10 points will be deducted from Gryffindor and you will stay behind during lunch to finish your assignment." Seamus sighed. Nothing seemed to be going right for him today.

The bell rang for lunch, and the rest of the class filed out. Draco snubbed Seamus as he passed. It hurt, but the Irish boy assumed there was a reason. As Seamus settled into his overdue assignment, Professor Dumbledore walked into the classroom. He spoke softly with Snape for a moment, and then they both walked over to Seamus.

"Mr. Finnigan there is something we must discuss." Dumbledore began. Seamus blinked in confusion. What could it possibly be? He hadn't done anything.

"Your relationship with Malfoy. It must stop." Snape ordered. Seamus couldn't believe that he was hearing this.

"You're just like everyone else!" he accused. "You're homophobes who can't stand the thought of people who aren't what you'd call 'normal' being happier than yourselves! Would it be so wrong for us to be happy?"

"Watch your mouth Finnigan. I will not tolerate this disrespect. We are doing this for your own good."

"How's that?" Seamus asked dryly. He could believe they were saying this. How could they possibly think keeping him away from someone he cared about would be for his own good?

"We don't know what Lucius Malfoy is capable of doing if you are not kept apart as he requested." Dumbledore explained.

"I don't care what he does to me! You have no right to interfere! How would he know anyway?"

"He has ways of keeping an eye on Draco." Snape was becoming irritated with the boy's refusal to look at the situation logically "Besides, it not just you that we are worried about. He has threatened to take Draco out of Hogwarts and home tutor him if we do not keep the two of you apart. I'm sure you can imagine what will happen to the boy if that happens. If you really care about what happens to him then you will realise that it would be best for all concern if you stay away from him." Seamus wanted to argue but he didn't know what to say. What Snape had just said had made too much sense, and as much as he hated it, it appeared he was going to lose Draco one way or another.

"You can go now Seamus." Dumbledore dismissed him. He looked questioningly at the Potions master who nodded.

"You can hand in your homework tomorrow." Seamus gathered his things and left. This was shaping up to be the worst day of his life.


	5. Reminiscence

Chapter 5 Reminiscence

Fred and George were looking for their brother when they came across Seamus lying on his bed staring up at the roof. They looked at each other, knowing there was something wrong, but unsure of what to do."

"Are you alright?" Fred asked tentatively.

"Do I bloody well look alright?" Seamus snapped. The twins flinched at the hostility.

"Sorry, that was a stupid question wasn't it?" Fred apologised. Seamus just rolled his eyes. The twins could be very thick sometimes.

"What's the matter?" George inquired, hoping he wouldn't further anger the young Gryffindor. For awhile the blond did not respond to George's question. The twins were about to depart, leaving Seamus alone when he finally spoke. "It's Draco." He whispered "His father has found out about us, and now he's determined to keep us apart. He's even convinced Dumbledore that it would be best for everyone if we stopped seeing each other."

"But what can Lucius do while you're both still at Hogwarts?" Fred couldn't understand why Seamus would be upset about **not** being able to go near a Malfoy, bus seeing how upset the boy was he decided it was best not to voice this thought.

"You idiot!" Seamus replied softly. "You don't get it do you? We won't always be at Hogwarts. Lucius threatened to take Draco out of school if I don't stay away from him. So either I stay away from him and he remains here, tantalisingly out of reach, or I continue to see him until his father takes him away, and then I never see him again." Seamus fell into a brooding silence. Neither of the twins knew what to say, and the longer they said nothing, the more uncomfortable they felt. Finally, George broke the silence.

"So how did you two get together anyway?" Fred asked. Seamus smiled sadly. "It's a long story and you're probably not interested." Seeing the old spark return to the younger the boy the twins felt relieved and insisted he tell them the story. If this was what it took to bring back the Seamus they were familiar and comfortable with, then it was the least they could do.

Seamus smiled sadly. "You remember that fight Draco had after he called me a mud-blood?" noticing the twins identical looks of confusion, he explained "It was about four months ago. We were placed on detention for it, and Draco had received a letter from his father…"

flash back

"What the ell is he thinking?" Draco roared indignantly. "Just because I'm his son, doesn't mean I am going to follow in his footsteps. I am not going to do that!"

"Do what?" Draco jumped at the sound. He had thought he was alone.

"Who's there?" Draco demanded.

"Who do you think?" Seamus replied sarcastically as he crawled out from under a desk, his hands full of lolley wrappers and discarded pieces of parchment. The two boys had been ordered to clean the potions classroom as their punishment.

"I didn't realise you were here yet." Draco answered.

"Obviously." Seamus replied dryly. "So what aren't you doing?"

"What do you care?" Draco yelled defensively. It was none of this boy's business what Draco did or did not do. He resented that Seamus thought he had the right to ask these questions.

"I don't." Seamus replied blandly. "I was just making conversation. It's what civilised people call being polite. Then again, arrogant bastards like you wouldn't know much about that."

"You don't know anything about me." Draco stated calmly, stuffing the parchment into his robe. Seamus found this deathly tranquillity far more disturbing than if the other boy had been yelling at him. Seamus shook of a chill the voice caused, and returned to cleaning.

The two boys continued to clean in silence. As they worked, the letter fell out of Draco's robes. Seamus later found it, and not realising what it was, read.

End Flash back

"…And that's when I learnt that there was more to Draco than people give him credit for."

"But what did the letter say?" George demanded.

"And what did you do next?" Fred added. "This still doesn't tell us how you two ended up together."

"Alright! All right! I'm getting to that! It's a long story."

Flash back

Seamus read the letter he found lying on the floor in the potions classroom.

Draco

_It has been decided that when you return home this Christmas you will join the service of our Lord fighting for the rights of all pureblood wizards._

_I hope you fully understand and appreciate the honour being bestowed upon you. You will become the youngest Death-Eater in Lord Voldemort's employ. You will become a vital part of our quest for purity._

_Our Lord understands how much you value our cause and your willingness to fight for what is right. He is anticipating your arrival at which you will swear an oath of loyalty._

_You had better not disappoint anyone._

_Lucius_

Draco, who had been standing nearby the whole time turned and saw Seamus reading. When he recognised what Seamus was reading he grabbed hold of the front of the Gryffindor's robes and slammed him against the wall.

"You never saw this." He commanded, tearing the scroll from Seamus grasp and waving it in front of his face. "This never existed, alright?" The menacing look on Draco's face was all the other boy needed to convince him to agree. Seamus nodded his head in agreement, afraid of what the other boy might do if he resisted.

Draco sighed. "good boy." He released his hold on Seamus' robes and stepped back. He took his wand out and used it to set fire to the incriminating piece of parchment, fearful that someone less easily bullied would find it.

"That's what you were talking about before wasn't it? When you said that you weren't going to follow in his footsteps, and you said you weren't going to do _it_." The Slytherin said nothing. "I'd have thought that you would have been proud to receive an offer like that."

"Well then you are just like everyone else." He replied as the parchment turned to ash. "You assume too much. And if you know what's good for you, you'll keep your mouth shut." He turned and left the room.

End Flash Back

"Since then I've found out just how much people assume about Draco, and just how little anyone really knows about him."

"Yes, but how did you end up together?" George repeated the still unanswered question.

"And what happened at Christmas? Did his father force him to become a death eater?" Fred's curiosity was growing as Seamus continued his tale.

"Hang on! I'm not finished yet!" Seamus laughed. He was glad that the twins believed him. He was so used to people only believing in the 'bad' side of Draco that he was relieved to learn that some people were willing to see him for who he truly was. "I had thought that was the end of the matter. In fact I had total forgot about it until I went for a walk the next night after dinner…"

Flash Back

Seamus wandered aimlessly. He had too much energy to sit around all night, and he needed some fresh air. He found himself on the Quidditch field. As he walked across the field towards the Slytherin stands he noticed someone seated on the ground, his knees pressed against his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs.

Seamus recognised the other boy "Draco?" he called softly. Draco looked up startled, his eyes struggling to hide some indeterminable emotion. Was it Fear? Or Pain? Seamus couldn't be sure. /Draco/ Seamus mentally berated himself. /Why is he suddenly Draco instead of Malfoy// A small voice in the back of his head seemed to reply, _maybe it was when he ceased to be as inhuman as the Malfoy you thought you knew._

Seamus shook his head to get rid of the voice, but the words did not seem to fade. Seeing someone who was usually so confident in such a pitiful state made Seamus heart ache. True Seamus didn't particularly _like_ Draco, but he hated seeing _anyone _upset.

"What's the matter Draco?" he asked tentatively, approaching slowly so he wouldn't scare off the other boy. Draco, desperate for some intelligent company who would understand his dilemma (which he would never him amongst his housemates), told Seamus everything.

"It's my father." he started "He wants me to be some cruel, heartless, unfeeling killing machine, hell bent on destroying anything Muggle related, and anyone who isn't a pure-blood wizard." Draco rested his forehead against his knees. Seamus sat next to him and placed a comforting arm around the Slytherin's shoulder. "It's not that I don't value pure blood." He looked pleadingly at Seamus. "I do. I just don't value it over human life. Call me prejudiced and narrow minded if you want, but you've got to believe that I am not, and could never be a murderer." Seamus, sensing the other boy's sincerity, nodded and squeezed his shoulder.

"It's alright. I believe you." He assured Draco.

"I can never please my father." The Slytherin's head sunk again. "I'm not interested in the Dark Arts like he wants me to be, I'm not top of the class, I can't even beat Potter in Quidditch. I'm his failure of a son. If he knew I was gay, he would probably disown me." When he received no reaction for his last statement, Draco turned to Seamus. "Doesn't that bother you?"

"What?" Seamus queried. He wasn't sure what Draco was asking.

"That I'm gay?"

"Should it?"

Draco was shocked, and didn't try to hide it. If he has said the same thing to one of his housemates, they would have responded with complete revulsion.

"Why should it bother me?" Seamus repeated.

"Because it's disgusting. Because I am disgusting." Draco moved away and leaned against one of the support beams under the stand. Seamus followed him, and moved in front of the other boy. He held Draco's chin and forced the dispirited boy to look him in the eyes.

"Look at me." he commanded "You are not disgusting. You are not a failure. There is more to you than other people realise." Was that an offer of friendship? Draco didn't dare believe it. This boy who he had called a mud-blood and got into a fight with only the day before, now was willing to accept him for everything he was. it was too good to be true. Seamus released his chin and Draco slowly leant closer to him.

"Are you offering your friendship?" he whispered.

"If that's what you want." Seamus replied.

"Oh I do." They were now so close Seamus could feel Draco's breath on his lips. Draco closed his eyes and the distance between them. When their lips met, Draco kissed the other boy, it was the happiest moment of his life. He placed his hands behind Seamus' neck and deepened the kiss. Seamus wrapped his arms around Draco's waist and pulled him close, allowing his lips to yield under the pressure of Draco's, his response intensified the Slytherin's pleasure.

The positive response tempted Draco to go further. He teased Seamus' lips with his tongue, asking entrance. When Seamus responded by open his mouth further, Draco ran his tongue along Seamus' top row of teeth while Seamus pulled the two of them closer together, moving his hands further down. They were flooded with a sense of perfection. They grew breathless and Seamus loosed his grip so they could get some fresh air. Then the full force of what they had done hit.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Draco gushed. He broke free of Seamus' grasp and ran back towards the castle, leaving behind a stunned Draco.

End Flashback

"…he ran off and left me to work out what all of that meant on my own." Seamus concluded.

"So what happened next?" Fred demanded.

I still find it hard to believe that there could be this other side to Draco. He's always seemed so distant, so untouchable." George commented.

"We all try to hide our weaknesses, and that's what Draco thought he was doing by playing the heartless wonder." Seamus explained. "Some of us are better at hiding things than others. And neither of you are allowed to tell ANYONE any of what I am telling you. Alright?" the twins nodded their accent. They didn't think it really needed to be said. Sure the two of them could be a little silly sometimes, but when it can to anything really important, they knew how to keep their mouths shut.

"Good." Seamus continued his story "I spent the rest of that night trying to work out why I responded in the way I did, and what everything meant. I was confused. I've never had a girlfriend, but I also had never entertained the idea that maybe I was gay. Draco avoided me for the next day which didn't help my confusion, and I didn't get a chance to talk to him until the next night…"

Flashback

Seamus wasn't hungry that night. He was still confused about the events of the previous evening. He left the dinner table early and went for a walk in an attempt to clear his head. He ended up in the astronomy tower where he found Draco. The other boy didn't notice his entrance so Seamus just stood and listened as the Slytherin talked to himself.

"Well Draco," the other boy told himself dryly "You screwed that up right royally. Note to self: when someone offers you his or her friendship, leave it at that. Don't throw yourself at them. They don't like that. Merlin! I'm such an idiot!"

"I wouldn't say that." Draco jumped at the sound of Seamus' voice. He hadn't heard the other boy enter the room.

"How long have you been standing there?" he demanded defensively.

"Long enough."

"I suppose you've told everyone what happened last night." Draco sighed in resignation. It was hopeless. His secret was out and his life was going to be a misery from now on.

"I haven't told anyone." Seamus replied "I'm not even sure what happened myself."

"It's simple" Draco spat bitterly "I'm a slut, and I forced myself on you."

"That's funny. It didn't seem that one sided to me."

/ Could it be true? Is he attracted to me as well// Draco didn't dare believe it. He knew if he were hurt now, he would have trouble dealing with it. / No. I'm not going to screw this up. I'll just be a friend. If he wants to take things further, then good, but I'm not going to risk scaring him off. /

When it appeared Draco wasn't going to say anything Seamus decided it was up to him to break the ice.

"So who do you think is going to win the Quidditch match on Saturday? Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw?"

Draco snatched appreciatively at the familiar ground. "I don't know. I hear the Hufflepuff seeker did a lot of special training over the summer."

"Yes," Seamus replied "but I've heard Ravenclaw have some new offensive strategies." Seamus moved into the seat opposite Draco. The discussed Quidditch, school, homework, and other trivialities. An hour later Seamus sighed and stood.

"I'd better go." he informed the other boy "I've got tons of homework, and the others will be wondering where I've got to." Draco nodded. He knew that no one would have noticed his absence, but he said nothing of it, afraid it might ruin the moment. Instead he asked Seamus if they could meet again the next day.

"Sure" the Gryffindor replied as he turned to leave "I'd love to."

End Flashback

"…we continued meeting like this. S I got to know Draco better, I started to feel a strong attraction towards him. I didn't know what to think about it. I have never been so confused about anything in my entire life."

"Well, did you tell Draco how you felt?" Fred asked.

"Well he must have." George reasoned "otherwise they wouldn't be together now, would they?"

"I didn't have to. About two weeks after our first meeting Draco dropped a bombshell…"

Flashback

They had been having a light-hearted argument about which was better, Quidditch or football.

"Football is more civilised. You don't aim things at each other with the intention of causing serious injury. You're not likely to fall out of the air and break your neck either."

"Yes, but that's what make Quidditch so exciting for the spectator." Seamus sighed and rolled his eyes exasperatedly. There was no arguing with Draco when he got this passionate. The other boy just laughed. "Has anyone ever told you that you're aggravating when you think you're right?"

Draco smiled "Has anyone ever told you that you're irresistible when you're aggravated?" Seamus blinked in confusion. That was the last thing he had been expecting to hear. Draco froze momentarily, but there was no backing out of this. "I have been attracted to you for awhile now, and getting to know you has only made these feelings intensify. I can't keep pretending. I need to tell you the truth. If it means losing this friendship then I am going to have to accept that as the consequences, but I can't continue like this. It's killing me."

"If you've felt like this for a while, then why did you start that fight? Why did you call me a mud-blood and treat me like dirt?" Seamus was confused. He had not been expecting this and he did not know how to cope.

"The opposite of love is not hate. It's indifference." Draco quoted "You acted as though I didn't exist. Even having you hate me hurt less than that. At least then I knew that you noticed me." Seamus nodded. He could understand that. Draco clasped his hands in his lap and stared at them, refusing to look up at the other boy for fear of what he might see there.

"If this makes you feel uncomfortable and you want to avoid me from now on I won't be offended."

/ You might not be offended, but you would most certainly be hurt. You can't even look at me in the eyes because you're afraid of what you might see. / Seamus walked across to the other boy, placed his hand under Draco's jaw and used it to gently raise his chin.

"Look at me." Seamus commanded, kissing him softly on the lips. Draco's eyes raised briefly, his gaze full of questions.

"I feel the same way about you." Seamus continued and the grey eyes raised again.

"Do you really?" Draco looked away again, afraid that this was all a horrible hoax, or a dream he was about to wake from. Seamus felt words would not suffice, and he decided to prove his feelings with action. He lifted Draco's hands and sat in his lap. Seamus wrapped the other boy's arms around his waist and placed his hands lightly against the back of Draco's head.

Ever so gently, he pulled Draco's face towards his own. Seamus tenderly caressed Draco's lips with his own, and Draco responded with the same warmth. Draco opened his mouth further, allowing Seamus to tease the other boy's tongue with his own. As they explored each other's mouths a feeling that this was right overwhelmed them.

When they eventually pulled apart, they both glowed internally. Neither of them had ever felt this good. Seamus relaxed the weight of his body against Draco, who embraced him in what felt like the most natural action in the world.  
"Do you really want me?" Draco asked.

"If you'll have me." Seamus replied. Draco's only answer was to place a light kiss on the tip of Draco's nose.

End Flashback

"…And that's how we became a couple." finished Seamus. The twins were awe-struck. They had no idea of what had been happening. There was a lot more emotion involved than either of them had ever imagined.

"So when did all that happen?" George asked.

"October." Again the twins were surprised. If was late February, that meant that Seamus and Draco had been together for around four months.

"So what happened after Draco returned home at Christmas?" Just as Fred asked, the bell rang to signify the end of lunch.

"That will have to wait until later or I am going to be late for class." As he left the room he heard the twins whispering about his story. They believed him, and it seemed that they were willing to believe that there was good in Draco. Seamus smiled to himself. If he could convince the twins that Draco wasn't all bad, then maybe he could convince others as well. He grabbed his books, and left for class, his heart feeling considerably lighter.


	6. waiting

Chapter 6 Waiting

That night after dinner Draco isolated himself in his dorm. He took the invisibility cloak out of his trunk and sighed.

/ Oh well. It's not as though he gave it to me because he cared./ he thought bitterly as he wrapped the cloak /He only gave it to me because Potter has one. And Merlin forbid Harry Bloody Potter should have more than a Malfoy./ He took the wrapped package to the Owlery and smirked / That doesn't mean this hasn't been _useful_. All those late night rendezvous./ he sighed sadly. He was going to miss those. He attached the package to the leg of an owl and sent it home as his father had ordered.

As he left the Owlery, Blaise ambushed him. "I thought you promised us grog!" She demanded.

"I did too!" Draco cried wrapping an arm around her waist and guiding her back to the common room. Blaise cheered in appreciation and Draco smiled to himself. It was just as well he arranged these drinking binges at irregular intervals or his plan would never work.

When Seamus returned to the Gryffindor common room that night he was anxious about weather or not Draco would meet him. As he walked through the portrait hole he was ambushed by Fred and George who promptly dragged him off to the boy's dorm. The opened the door, and seeing it was empty, they pushed the younger boy in. Fred sat Seamus on his bed, and George shut the door behind them. Seamus looked at them in astonishment.

"What!" he demanded.

"Don't play the innocent with us!" Fred accused

"You still have a story to finish." George concluded. Seamus blinked in confusion. He'd had a long day and the last thing he needed now was these two loonies harassing him.

"You were telling us what happened after that night in the astronomy tower." Fred explained.

"We became a couple?" Seamus was confused. What more was there to it?

"Well, we know that!" Fred cried, "We want to know what happened to Draco when he went home for Christmas."

"Oh. That." Seamus finally clicked.

"Yes. That!" the twins chorused. Seamus sighed in resignation knowing that he was not going to get out of this one. Part of him was also glad that he now had someone to discuss this with. He had been keeping so many secrets for so long and he was relieved that he would finally have someone to share the burden. As he began to tell the story, his mind was elsewhere. He was thinking about the meeting tonight. Would Draco be able to slip away? Would he even want to come? He wouldn't find out until late that night. Five long hours.

Back in the Slytherin common room Draco's housemates were baying for blood (or grog at least) and as the blond entered, a cheer rose. As his housemates demanded heir promised grog, Draco smiled falsely and released his hold on Blaise, to fetch the alcohol. He left the common room and returned with his school trunk. He had bought a new trunk at the beginning of the year for this purpose. It was just like the one Moody had been lock in the year before. He opened the second compartment and the other Slytherin's peered in.

It was a cellar.

"Oh Merlin!" Blaise breathed, "You really have out done yourself this time." The sounds of agreement rose from the other housemates. Draco smirked and indicated for them to help themselves.

He watched as the others began to drink themselves senseless. Draco had long since mastered the art of making it appear as though he had drunk more than he really had. He collapsed in a chair and waiting for the time he was meant to meet Seamus. He wasn't sure if Seamus would even come. After all, Draco had been avoiding him all day. He'd just have to wait and see. Five long hours.

Seamus looked at the twins before plunging straight into his story.

"Draco went home at Christmas. You-know-who came to Malfoy Manor and they were going to make him a Deatheater…"

Flask back

"Do you want to be a Deatheater? Do you want to fight for the rights of all pure-blood wizards?" Lucius raved "I thought I'd raised you well. I thought you believed in the cause. OUR cause."

"Of course I do." Draco agreed, fearing that his safety and his life depended on how well he talked himself out of this situation. "But what purpose would it serve? You need someone to keep an eye on Potter, and Dumbledore is hardly going to allow a Deatheater to remain at his school. The school governors are already placing pressure on him for allowing the children of suspected Deatheater to be enrolled at Hogwarts."

"Dumbledore wouldn't have to know." Lucius exploded.

"He'd find out! You can't hide something like that from him. I'd be expelled, and you would be right back where you started from."

Lucius was about to continue his tirade, but Voldemort interrupted. "The boy has a point." He turned to Draco "But you must decide here and now, will you stand with us and fight for what is right, or are you against us?"

Draco panicked. He didn't want to be a part of this at all, but if he said that, he had no way of knowing exactly how either of the two men in the room would react. It was highly likely that it would result in his death. He nodded. Voldemort patted Draco's cheek.

"Good boy." he said, "Now come."

"Where are we going?" Draco asked, still fearful.

"Just because you don't have a dark mark, it doesn't mean that you can't… sit in on our meetings, so to speak." Draco followed the two men out of the room.

End Flashback

"…They made him attend all their 'meetings.' He told me about some of the things that he saw them do. He didn't tell me about the worst things they did, the things that still give him nightmares. The things he told me about were horrific enough. The whole experience left him traumatised. When he returned to school he was a completely different person."

"What did they do that could be so traumatic?" Fred asked.

"Believe me, you don't want to know." Seamus assured them. "Now that everyone knows about us, they want to keep us apart. I don't think Draco can cope with all this on his own. No one else knows and there is no one other than me he feels safe to turn to. I don't think he can cope with everyone trying to tear us apart."

"Come now, it can't be that bad." George scolded.

"Do you want to make a bet? Lucius Malfoy came here this morning to demand that we are kept apart. He threatened to remove Draco from Hogwarts if we are not." Seamus sighed. He was beginning to wish that he hadn't insisted on the two of them being honest with everyone. A secret relationship was better than none at all.

Fred looked at George. Neither of them full trusted Draco, but they didn't think that Seamus deserved all this heartache either. They didn't know what they could do to help, but they felt they had to do something. They asked Seamus what he had planned. Seamus sighed.

"I'm going to meet Draco tonight and see what he thinks. If he's taken from Hogwarts he will probably be forced to become a Deatheater. He doesn't deserve that." The twins nodded, eager to know how this situation would unfold.

Draco had hidden himself away in the Slytherin dormitory, writing a letter to his father. He was getting desperate, and w as willing to do whatever it took to ensure he didn't lose Seamus.

Dear father

You seem to have misunderstood what has been occurring here at Hogwarts.

Since that mudblood Grainger was killed during the summer holidays, Potter has become closer to Finnigan and their other year mates. I thought that if I could get close to Finnigan, I could extract information about Potter and the Order, and, possibly, get Potter to trust me and become a part of his inner circle.

I know that nobody told me to do this, but remaining aloof was getting us nowhere. If I want to gain useful information I'll have to get close to Potter using whatever means necessary.

-Draco

His father wouldn't be convinced and Draco knew it, but he couldn't stand sitting around waiting until their arranged meeting. He walked through the common room on his way to post the letter. If he went now, he might just get back before curfew. He was about to leave the dungeon when a rather sober Blaise ambushed him.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

Draco cursed internally. He had always suspected that Blaise was one of his father's spies. He was one of the few Slytherin's intelligent enough to be capable of it.

"I'm posting a letter to my father." He said aloud, handing over said letter. He was glad that Blaise was drunk enough not to read anything into the fact that this would be the second time Draco went out to the Owlery to send something to his father.

As Blaise read the letter, Draco was struck by how androgynous Blaise was. It was impossible to tell if Blaise was male or female. Nobody knew for sure, some even suspected Blaise himself (herself) didn't know. One rumour suggested that Blaise was not one or the other, but both. Blaise finished reading and handed the letter back.

"So it's true then." Blaise stated "You are in the favour of our Lord."

"I am not saying either way." Draco called was he walked away, displaying a confidence he didn't feel, hoping Blaise would not follow him.

He was in luck. The alcohol proved too much of a temptation for Blaise, who returned to he party. Draco sighed in relief as he stepped into the corridor. His frustration proved too much. He posted the letter and instead of returning to his house mates, he headed for the Astronomy tower, determined to wait for Seamus there. He walked off his blood cold with fear that this would be the last time he would ever be alone with Seamus.

At 11pm, after all the other Gryffindor's had gone to bed, Seamus sneaked out the portrait hole. He couldn't bare the suspense any longer. He had to go see Draco. He entered the Astronomy tower to find Draco sitting there waiting for him.

"You're early." He accused.

"So are you." Seamus replied moving towards the blond boy.

"Stop there." Draco demanded taking a step backwards. "I can't do this if you coma any closer."

"Do what?" Seamus asked, fearful of the answer.

"How do I do this." he muttered "Look Seamus. We are going to have to stop seeing each other. It's too dangerous." He spun around, unable to maintain eye contact with Seamus.

"I'm not afraid of your father." Seamus stated.

"Well you should be." Draco yelled. Seamus jumped and Draco cursed himself for being so harsh. This whole situation was difficult, but it wasn't Seamus' fault.

"My father is a very dangerous man." Draco spoke softly, refusing to turn around ""You are nothing to him, and he wouldn't hesitate to kill you if he thought you were in his way. I would not be able to live with myself if anything happened to you.:

"I don't care what your father says or does. I don't want to lose you this easily. I intend to fight for you." Seamus moved closer to Draco and gently touched his elbow. Draco turned to face Seamus.

"No Seamus. Don't. Don't put yourself in danger. Just stay away from m. I'm not worth it." With that Draco fled from the room.


	7. Seperation

Chapter 7 Separation

Seamus watched Draco's retreating back, his heart sinking. How could he give up so easily? Seamus left the Astronomy tower and plodded back to the Gryffindor common room, not caring if anyone saw him out of bed. He stumbled up the stairs to the boy's dormitory and crawled into bed, his heart aching. So this was it? He was going to have to live with the pain of seeing Draco everyday and not being able to go near him.

"Oh Draco, don't please don't give up. I don't want to let you go." Sheer exhaustion and pain overwhelmed him and he fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning Draco was woken when Blaise tore the blankets from his bed in a fury.

"Come on, get up. If I have to get out of bed then so do you." Blaise ordered.

Draco groaned. Blaise could be a real bastard when he was hung over. He was even more of a bastard than usual. Not wanting to get in Blaise's way, Draco dressed quickly and rushed off to breakfast. He sat in his usual place at the Slytherin table. He looked across towards the Gryffindor table, his gaze falling on Seamus.

"We saved you some bacon." Crabbe muttered around a mouthful of toast.

Seamus looked up and met Draco's gaze. The pain the Slytherin saw there flooded him with guilt.

"I'm not hungry." Draco murmured. He stood and left the room.

Seamus pushed his plate away and sighed. He had no appetite this morning.

"What's wrong with you?" Harry demanded.

"Nothing." Seamus lied.

"I don't believe you. I've been watching you. You haven't eaten anything all morning. You've just been pushing your food around on your plate. That only happens when you're upset about something."

Seamus looked across the room at Draco. "I don't want to talk about it Harry."

Harry followed his gaze and watched as Draco left the room. How could Seamus have allowed Malfoy to become close enough to hurt him? The Slytherin was not going to get away with this. He had no right to be treating other people this way. If none of the teachers were going to do anything, than it would have to be up to him. Harry's thoughts were interrupted by Ron, who rushed them off to potions, warning they would be late if they didn't leave.

Draco arrived in the Potions classroom early that morning. He looked up as the Gryffindor's entered. Seamus refused to meet his eyes, and Harry glared at him. Draco looked away. He already felt guilty enough without other people placing blame on him. He hated himself for what he had done to Seamus, but there was no other alternative. He was not willing to allow Seamus to place himself in danger.

The lesson passed quietly. It was nearing the end of the lesson when Neville's potion exploded. The potion erupted covering him and the Slytherins working at the next table in a slimy green liquid.

"Bloody hell Longbottom! You're useless! How did you ever get admitted to Hogwarts? You can't do anything right!" Blaise exploded.

"Let it go Blaise." Draco demanded coldly.

"Why? He's a worthless squib! He shouldn't even be at this school." Blaise argued.

"I said let it go."

Draco's cold, menacing tone left no room for argument. No matter how much he fell out of favour with his father and his housemates, he would always command a certain amount of respect from his other housemates, and they would always do as he said. The room fell silent, and everyone stared at Draco, who calmly wrung the slime out of his robes and hair before returning his attention to his potion.

"Get back to your work." Snape ordered "And Longbottom, clean up that mess." Neville nodded obediently and the rest of the class returned to their work.

At the end of the lesson Ron turned to Harry and Seamus.

"Malfoy must be ill." Ron mused "Usually he would have been only too happy to rip into Neville, and certainly wouldn't have stopped anyone else from doing the same."

"He probably realised what an arsehole he is." Harry replied, loud enough for Draco to hear "That ought to be enough to make anyone sick."

Raw emotion flashed across Draco's face too quickly to be defined. He picked up his books and brushed past the Gryffindors on his way out of the classroom. Seamus glared at Harry.

"You're such a bastard. Why would you say something like that? What gives you the right to judge anyone else?" Seamus spat and stormed off down the corridor.

"You shouldn't have done that." Neville scolded "He was actually being nice for once, and you treated him like dirt."

Neville and Ron rushed down the corridor after Seamus, leaving Harry to his thoughts. Harry shook his head. He was baffled as to how he had become the villain.

That night when Seamus didn't turn up for dinner, Harry went looking for him. He looked in the Astronomy tower, and there he found Seamus lying listlessly on the floor. Harry called out to him softly.

"Hi Harry." Seamus sat up and Harry thought that he detected moisture in the other boy's eyes. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Where were you at dinner?" Harry asked, slipping into the chair opposite his housemate.

"I wasn't hungry." He said, looking away.

"Seamus, what's wrong? What happened between you and Draco last night?" Harry asked tentatively.

There was no answer. Harry was about to break the silence when Seamus spoke.

"He broke up with me. His father found out and threatened to take him out of Hogwarts if he didn't stay away from me."

"That sounds about right." Harry criticised "At the first sign of trouble he ran."

"Shut up!" Seamus screamed, frustrated with Harry's insistence to assume the worst. "You don't know him. Besides, it's not that simple. There's more to it that that!"

"Well explain it to me then." Harry replied cynically.

"Why bother? You're only ever willing to believe the worst of him. You refuse to give him a chance. Not even for my sake. I love him Harry, and this attitude of yours is hurting me and you don't seem to care." Seamus was nearing hysteria.

"Alright. Alright. Calm down." Harry attempted to placate him. He hadn't realised Seamus was so badly affected.

"No Harry. Just leave me alone." Seamus yelled and ran from the room.

A week passed, and Harry became increasingly worried about Seamus. Seamus was eating little and sleeping less. After class he would lie on his bed and refuse to talk to anyone. He was being consumed by depression and there was nothing Harry could do to help him. One evening Harry went for a walk after dinner. He strained to think of something, anything he could do to help Seamus. He ended up in the Astronomy tower where he found Draco sitting in a chair reading a letter. The other boy hadn't noticed Harry's entrance. Harry stood there and soon realised the blond Slytherin was talking to himself.

"Oh Seamus." Hs sighed, his voice shaking "I miss you so much. I love you and I am so sorry that I have hurt you like this. But I had to."

Draco was gazing out the window. A movement on the glass surface caught his eye and his attention. Seeing Harry's reflection in the glass he spun around.

"How long have you been standing there?" he demanded.

"Long enough." Harry replied calmly. He had a feeling he had just seen a side of Draco that he had never imagined existed. As he stood there, he was this new Draco fade away, and the old, defensive Draco reappeared.

"Go on, call me whatever you like." the blond boy challenged "Sicko, pervert, pouf, queer. I've heard them all."

His resolve crumbled and he turned away, unable to maintain eye contact. Harry focused on the boy's reflection. The normally clear grey eyes were red and puffy. His cheeks shone with a wetness Harry suspected was due to tears. Harry dragged a chair across and sat silently opposite Draco.

"Well say something." Draco demanded after a couple of minutes of what he felt was an unbearable silence.

"If you love him so much, then why did you break up with him?" Draco looked at him.

"You wouldn't understand." He replied and turned away.

"Try me." Harry dared.

"It's for his own good." Draco sighed and closed his eyes.

"You break his heart, and it's for his own good. I'd like to know how you figured that one out." Harry commented dryly.

"See! I told you that you wouldn't understand." Draco yelled, turning on Harry.

"Well then explain it to me!" Harry demanded.

"Here." Draco said softly handing Harry the letter that he had been reading earlier and turning away again. Harry took the letter and quickly read it.

Draco

Do not believe that I am stupid enough to believe your pathetic little lies. You are a worthless coward who is too spineless to stand up for what is right, and swear allegiance to a worthy leader.

If you do not terminate this disgusting 'relationship' there will be serious consequences. Consequences I do not believe you are willing to deal with. Consequences for both you and the worthless mudblood. If you do not stay away from him I will withdraw you from Hogwarts and see o your education myself. I know you would not enjoy that. You of all people should know that I am not as soft as those teachers of yours are. As for the consequences for this mudblood. You do not want to know what I will do to the mudblood.

You are a Malfoy, and as such there are certain expectations and standards that you must live up to. The sooner you grow out of this phase and realise that you are not a faggot the better life will be for you. That sort of behaviour is for inferior people. It is not acceptable from a Malfoy, and is definitely not acceptable from any son of mine.

You had better mach sure you behave yourself. I will know if you are getting up to anything unacceptable. I have people watching you.

-Lucius Malfoy

Harry, appalled, handed the letter back to Draco. From that letter it sounded as though Draco's own father treated him no better than the Dursleys treated Harry.

"I'm not a person to him." Draco whispered "I am just another possession to reflect what sort of a man he is. Just another possession he gets annoyed with when it doesn't work properly. I have to be what he wants me to be, and do what he wants me to do. I have to deny who I am, what I think and how I feel. That's not love, that's hate."

Draco turned to look at Harry, tears rolling down his face. "I finally find someone who really does love me –Merlin only knows why- and he wants to tear us apart."

Draco collapsed in an emotionally exhausted heap. Harry's heart ached to see anyone in so much pain. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He handed it to Draco and sat quietly while the other boy grappled with his emotions. Draco regained his composure and sighed. He looked up at Harry and smiled sadly.

"We used to sit up here all the time." Draco reminisced "Seamus and I. We'd sit and talk about anything and everything. Friends, family, school, Quidditch. Within a month he had turned me into a football fanatic and I've never even seen a match.

"He's the only person I've ever really been able to talk to. The only person who's been willing to listen. Everyone assumes that I am just like my father. Seamus is the only person who has ever given me the chance to prove otherwise." Draco looked down at his watch.

"I'd better go before someone comes looking for me. After all, my father is having me watched." he stood and was about to leave when he turned back to Harry. "Could you do something for me?"

Harry looked at him expectantly.

"Could you tell Seamus that I'm sorry. Make him understand that I love him and that I didn't want to hurt him. Tell him that I had to break up with him because I would hate for anything to happen to him. Tell him that I am not worth the risk and that I could never forgive myself if he was hurt because of me. Will you do that for me?" Draco pleaded.

"Yeah sure." Harry nodded.

"Thank you." Draco whispered as he swept from the room.

Harry lent back into his chair and sighed. He had never anticipated that. He had always assumed that Draco was using Seamus, and that he wouldn't care if Seamus were hurt. Harry had just witnessed a side to Draco that he had never suspected existed. Now he could understand how Seamus felt. Maybe, just maybe he could begin to help his friend with this knowledge. Until this point of time it appeared that Harry had only hurt Seamus more. Now he had a lot to make up for. He owed it to Seamus.

Harry walked into the dormitory. Seamus was lying on his back on the bed. Ron was sitting on his own bed talking to Seamus across the room. Harry walked over to Seamus and sat on the edge of his bed. Seamus opened his eyes, looked at Harry and then closed his eyes again.

"What?" Seamus demanded impatiently. It seemed that no matter how hard Harry tried, all he had been doing lately was hurt Seamus.

"I saw Malfoy earlier." Seamus' eyes sprung open at this news.

"And?" his voice was strangely impassive.

"He was in a bad way." Harry reported "He really misses you."

"If he misses Seamus so much then why did he dump him? It makes no sense to me." Ron interrupted.

"His father. His father made him break up with Seamus." Harry replied.

"Well he should stand up to his father!" Ron argued oblivious to the anger building on Seamus' countenance.

"Would you like to stand up to Lucius Malfoy?" Seamus exploded, eye blazing as he glared at Ron.

"He's right." Harry agreed "Malfoy showed me a letter he received from his father. If he disobeys Lucius, it's not only Draco who will suffer."

"How is he?" Seamus asked turning to Harry "Did he give you a message for me?" Seamus' old energy seemed to return as he thought about Draco.

"He's really upset." Harry reported "he's feeling guilty and he said he's really sorry. He says its not worth the risk and he doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"It's a bit late for that." Ron snorted "I don't understand what you ever saw in him anyway. He's a typical bloody Slytherin and a Malfoy to boot."

"Don't start." Seamus snapped as he stood and stormed from the room.

"What's with him?" Ron asked.

"I don't think that Draco is as bad as everyone supposes he is. I would never have imagined he could be as devastated about anything as he was tonight."

"It was probably just an act." Ron argued. Harry disagreed. He had seen Draco himself, and he was convinced the boy was genuine.

"We have to do something." Professor McGonagal demanded. "This whole situation is ridiculous and Seamus is becoming depressed. As their teaches we should be putting the students welfare first.

"I agree. Malfoy is in as pathetic a state. We have to do something." Snape added.

"I know. I know." Dumbledore sighed. "There just really isn't much we can do. No matter how we react, these students are going to suffer in some way. At least if they're here we can keep an eye on them."


	8. assistance

Chapter 8 Assistance

Neither Seamus nor Draco improved over the next few days. If anything they became even more depressed. Harry was concerned about Seamus. When he didn't turn up for dinner, again, Harry decided to go looking for him. He found Seamus in the common room sitting at a table covered with schoolbooks. He was trying to study, but appeared to be doing more staring into space.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

Seamus jumped. He hadn't noticed the other boy enter the room. He had been trying to study, but he just could not concentrate. In the end he had completely zoned out. The world could have ended and he wouldn't have batted an eyelid.

"I was doing my Potions homework. Or trying to." he said in answer to the other boy's question "it's no use, I'm never going to be any good at this class. I just don't understand it."

"Well then why don't you have a break. You can come down stairs and have some dinner." Harry was concerned. Seamus had been eating very little over the last couple of weeks. He had been losing weight, and it was becoming very noticeable. At this rate the other boy was going to end up ill.

"I'm not hungry." the other boy replied. He'd had very little appetite recently. He knew he should be eating more, but when it came down to it, he just physically could not swallow anything.

Harry sat across from him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Seamus looked at him and sighed. "Do you know what its like to be cut off from someone you care about? To see them everyday, yet not be able to touch them or talk to them? To not even be able to look at them for too long for fear people will think something is going on, and they will suffer for it? I care about Draco, and I can see he's hurting. Things have been hard for him. He doesn't really have anyone who supports him. I was the only one whom he could ever count on, and now even I can't be there for him."

Seamus folded his arms on the table and rested his chin on them.

"Look, I know you're upset, but it's not your fault and you mustn't blame yourself. We are all worried about you. You have been isolating yourself, and you haven't been eating enough. No one likes to see you like this. I'm not going to pretend I know how you feel. I don't. But you have to take care of yourself. Okay?" Harry didn't really know how to explain how he felt to Seamus.

"How is it that people can worry so much about my well being yet refuse to allow me to do what will make me happy? Refuse to allow me to be me?" Seamus asked rhetorically.

He sighed and Harry's heart went out to him. "Will you at least promise me you will have something to eat?"

Sensing his friends concern, Seamus looked into his eyes. They sat like that for a moment, and then Seamus closed the textbook in front of him.

"Alright, all right, I'll go." Seamus stalked out of the room. He wasn't really annoyed. If anything he was touched by Harry's concern. Harry sat and watched Seamus leave. He wasn't going to go with him. He knew Seamus would eat as he'd promised, and if Harry followed, Seamus would just think he didn't trust him.

A few minutes later Harry also got up and left the common room. He needed to goo for a walk to help him think. He wanted to help Seamus; he really did. But being kept away from Draco was really hurting him. The Slytherin meant a lot to Seamus. Harry suspected that maybe it was possible that Seamus loved him. Harry couldn't understand why anyone could love someone like Draco. Maybe it was like Seamus had been saying. Maybe Draco wasn't as bad as everyone seemed to think. He certainly hadn't seemed cruel and heartless the other night. He seemed fragile; heart broken even. It was as though he really cared for Seamus as well.

Harry's wanderings had led him to the Astronomy tower where he found Draco lying on the floor staring at the stars. As Harry entered the room, the Slytherin's gaze flickered to him then back to the sky. Harry stood there in silence for a while.

"Do you want me to go?" he asked, feeling as though he were interrupting something.

Draco shrugged "Do whatever you want, I don't care. I don't care about anything anymore." The last part was whispered and Harry had to strain to hear it.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked tentatively. Draco glared at him. That one gaze spoke sarcastic volumes. Harry was about to move closer when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see Blaise standing at the door.

"There you are Draco. I've been looking for you. I want some help with the Potions homework. What's Potter doing here?" Blaise demanded.

"He was just leaving, weren't you Potter." Draco ordered. Harry, who had been watching Draco, had noticed a change in the blond when Blaise came in. It was as if a mask had suddenly covered Draco's face, blocking any sign of emotion. Harry could understand the change, and the need to keep up the appearance of their old, hostile relationship.

"It's a free world. I was only leaving because I can't stand to spend another minute in a room with such a narcissistic bastard as yourself."

"Yeah, whatever. Just beat it." Blaise interrupted. "Come on Draco, let's get back to the common room." As Harry left he heard Draco scolding Blaise.

"What is it with you? You don't need me to help you with Potions homework, you could just ask Snape. He would hardly deny giving his help to a student in his house. You keep ambushing me when I'm on my own and dragging me away to public places. Anyone would think that you were following me. That you don't trust me and that you are spying on me…"

Harry suspected that Draco had said this for his benefit. Was it a warning? An explanation of his earlier behaviour? Whatever it was it didn't really matter because Harry now knew want he was going to do to help Seamus and Draco. The only thing he had to figure out now was **how**.

The next day in Potions Snape announced they would be receiving their term assignment.

"You will be working in pairs, and as a test of your maturity, you will all have to work with members of the other house." A unanimous groan rose from the class. Seamus stole a quick glance across the room at where Draco was sitting. Before he even had a chance to seriously consider walking over to him, Blaise stepped in front of the blond Gryffindor.

"I'll be working with you Finnigan." It was a statement more than a request. Seamus realised arguing was futile and nodded. Harry recognised his opportunity and walked over to Draco. None of his housemates would object. Even if working with Draco guaranteed you a good mark, most people felt it wasn't worth it. Draco looked up to see whom he would be working with and sighed in resignation.

The Class worked in silence for most of the lesson. The potions they were brewing were complicated, and even a slight inaccuracy due to a lack of concentration could be disastrous. The lesson was almost over and the class was bottling their potions. Draco picked up the cauldron of perfect silver liquid to pour into the flask. The cauldron was hotter than he had expected, and he dropped it on the bench. The contents splashed all over Harry's books and robes. Seizing the opportunity, Harry shoved Draco against the wall.

"You useless bastard." He yelled, "What do you think you were trying to do." Harry grimaced as the hot liquid soaked through his robes and began to burn his skin. He leant forward towards Draco and whispered "Play along. I'll explain later." Seeing he had nothing to lose, Draco complied.

"Well, you see I wanted to piss you off." He drawled sarcastically "I really don't mind if I fail in potions, so I decided it would be entertaining to pretend to accidentally pour my terms assignment all over your books. What do you think I was trying to do."

"You are pathetic Malfoy." Harry ranted "You are a disgusting, slimy, repulsive…"

"That's enough!" Snape yelled. "Potter, Malfoy, clean this mess up. You can both come back for detention after dinner and re brew your potions."

The two boys cleaned up in silence. Draco threw Harry a questioning look. Harry mouthed the word 'later' and gave a good-humored wink to assure the boy that there was nothing in their earlier confrontation. Draco realised that he wasn't going to get an explanation until after dinner, and returned to his cleaning. They left at the end of class. Seamus glared at Harry and stormed off towards the dormitory. Ron walked up to Harry.

"You know, that was a little unprovoked." He lectured "I know it's only Malfoy, but still, it was an accident." Harry winced. He had been burnt more severely than he had originally thought.

"Look," he said, "you go have lunch, I'll catch up with you later. I want to get out of these wet robes." Ron nodded and Harry followed Seamus to the dorm.

Harry walked into the dorm and took some clean clothes from his trunk. Seamus glared at him from across the room. Harry was about to leave when Seamus broke his silence.

"It was an accident you know." He whispered "You're just like everyone else. You assume everything he does is malicious. You assume that he's not human and that everything he does is planned. You think he could never do anything by accident." Seamus fell silent again. It wasn't true of course, but how was Harry going to explain it? He didn't even know if his plan was going to work, and he didn't want to raise Seamus' hopes. The Irish boy had already been hurt enough. Harry left in silence.

That night Harry left dinner early. He didn't want to be late for detention. Snape would have his head on a platter. He returned to his dorm briefly to collect his bag and started to think about Seamus. The Irish boy hadn't spoken to Harry since their encounter in the dorm at lunchtime. Harry hadn't meant to upset Seamus, but hopefully after tonight he would be forgiven. Harry hurried down to the Potions classroom where Draco and Snape were waiting.

The boys recreated the potion in silence under the watchful eye of the professor. When they finished, Harry realised that the result was a hundred times better than he could have hoped to achieve without the Slytherin's help. They had just started to clean up when the Potions master broke the silence.

"I trust I can leave you pair to clean up without getting into another fight." He looked briefly at Harry and swept from the room.

Draco spoke for the first time since they had arrived. "I hope you have a good explanation for this." He said neutrally.

"Yes." Harry paused. Draco looked questioningly at him. "I wanted to get you on your own."

"And?" Draco was becoming irritated. He hated when people were incapable of getting straight to the point.

"I want to know what you want with Seamus. I mean if you were able to see him."

"I don't see what that's got to do with you." Draco became suspicious. He suspected that there was a catch.

"I want you to promise that if I help you to see him, that you will not do anything to hurt him."

Draco was confused. "I love Seamus. I would die before I would do anything to hurt him. It's killing me now to see that he is in so much pain because of me." Harry, certain of the other boy's sincerity, went over to his bag and pulled out a parcel.

"Here. You can borrow this. Put it on and follow me." He handed the Slytherin his invisibility cloak. Draco looked up at Harry, gratitude flooding his eyes briefly before they disappeared beneath the cloak.


	9. Reunion

Chapter 9 Reunion

Blaise stormed into the classroom. "Where's Malfoy?" she demanded.

"He just left." Harry replied. As Blaise left the classroom Harry heard a familiar voice whisper behind him.

"Wench." Harry laughed and left in the direction of the Gryffindor Tower. He entered the common room and walked straight up towards the dormitory. He walked in to find Seamus, Ron and Dean deep in conversation.

"Could you guys give me a moment." Harry asked "I want to talk to Seamus alone."

Ron and Dean looked questioningly at each other, and mumbling, left the room.

"If you've come to apologise about your behaviour this morning it's not me you should be apologising to. Draco didn't do anything to deserve that."

"Would you just shut up and let me explain?" Harry demanded "I had to do that so that I could get Draco alone, so I could… well see for yourself."

Life that had been missing from Seamus' eyes for what seemed an eternity ignited as Draco removed the invisibility cloak. Seamus jumped off his bed and rushed over to kiss Draco. The two embraced for a short while before Draco broke away, and smiling, held Seamus' shoulders at arms length where he could see the other boy.

"Hello gorgeous! I missed you." He kissed Seamus on the forehead and his expression turned more serious. "You've lost a lot of weight." His eyes were filled with concern.

"So have you." Seamus countered. Draco ignored this last comment. He was more concerned about Seamus' health than his own.

"Have you been eating enough? He hasn't has he?" Draco demanded, turning to Harry who shook his head.

"Well you haven't exactly been looking after yourself either. You wear long loose robes to try to hide it, but I can feel how thin you've got. You need to eat more."

"Okay, okay." Draco laughed "We'll make a pact. I'll eat more if you promise to take care of yourself."

"Deal." Seamus agreed as he sat on his bed and pulled the other boy into his lap. Harry decided it would be best if he left them to get reacquainted. After seeing the way Draco reacted to their reunion, Harry was convinced that this was the best thing he could have done for Seamus.

"I go make sure no one disturbs you." Harry said as way of farewell. The two blondes looked up with a start. They had become so wrapped in each other that they had forgotten Harry was there.

As Harry left the room Draco turned back to Seamus and gazed intently into his eyes, as if afraid that looking away would mean the other boy would disappear forever.

"This is probably not a good idea." he sighed.

"I don't care." Seamus replied defiantly "You mean more to me than anyone else in the world. I love you and I never want to lose you."

"I love you too." Draco echoed as he turned around in Seamus' lap. He placed his hands gently behind Seamus' neck and drew the other boy close.

As they kissed Draco was flooded with a sense of perfection he had been missing for the past month. He allowed himself to be consumed by the kiss and didn't want the moment to end. He missed Seamus. He needed Seamus. Seamus was the one person in Draco's life whom he truly loved, and whom he felt sure truly loved him.

They broke apart reluctantly so they could draw breath. Draco wrapped Seamus' arms tightly around his waist. He needed the physical contact. He needed to know this moment was real. Draco sighed sadly.

"What wrong?" Seamus asked "Isn't everything perfect? Isn't this the way it's meant to be?"

"No it's not." Draco replied softly "Don't get me wrong. I love you, really I do, but it shouldn't be like this. We shouldn't have to sneak around. We shouldn't have to lie and disguise our feelings. But we do, and my mere presence is putting you in danger. I hate that I have to act so distant for fear of something happening to you." Draco sighed again and snuggled deeper into Seamus' embrace.

"Don't worry about me. Dumbledore will make sure nothing happens to me."

"But what about when we finish school, what about when you go home for the holidays?" Draco was fearful.

"We will worry about that when the time comes. Besides, Dumbledore's reach is long. After all, he has been protecting Harry for all these years, hasn't he? No, don't worry about me. Let's just enjoy the present." Seamus rested his chin on Draco's shoulder and tightened his hold around his boyfriend's waist, as if the physical contact could transfer his feelings. He wanted Draco to know that he lived him, and that he wouldn't give up. He wanted Draco to know that he was willing to fight for him.

"I would never forgive myself if anything ever happened to you."

"I'll be alright." Seamus assured him "It's you who we should be worried about. If your father finds out he'll take you out of school, and there's no knowing what he would be willing to do to turn you into the son he wants you to be."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

_/Oh but I do worry./ _Seamus thought _/If you were removed from school I'd still be safe within the Hogwarts grounds. You would be at home, and I don't think that there is anything that Lucius is not capable of. I think he would torture his own son if he thought it would get him what he wants./ _That thought was enough to make Seamus tighten his grip on Draco. He didn't want to ever let him go. He hated the thought of anyone hurting his boyfriend. He was startled out of his reprieve when Draco winced.

"Oh I'm sorry." He loosened his grip. Seamus was confused. He had been squeezing, but he didn't think he had been holding on all that hard. He may have slightly restricted Draco's breathing, but it wouldn't have been enough to cause pain. Draco rubbed at his ribs.

"No, it's not you. I've got some old bruises."

"Show me." Seamus demanded, suddenly very concerned.

"Oh it's nothing. Just the usual injuries sustained in Quidditch. It's like you say, the game is barbaric." But there was no point arguing. While he tried, Seamus had opened the front of his robes and pulled them down, leaving the Slytherin naked from the waist up.

Seamus inspected the other boy's torso and what he saw there left him shocked. There were cuts and bruises all over his body. Far worse than anything he had seen on Harry from Quidditch. Seamus poked tentatively at the injuries and found two ribs he suspected were broken. The injuries were all over his arms, and Seamus suspected they went down further. Draco looked as though someone had been using him as a punching bag. Or several someones.

_/So that's why you've taken to wearing long, loose robes all the time./ _It hurt Seamus to see the other boy is such a pitiful state. "Draco, how did this happen?" he demanded.

"I told you. Quidditch." Draco repeated.

"Don't lie to me Draco. Even Quidditch isn't that violent. Someone has been hitting you, haven't they? Why haven't you gone to see Madame Pomfrey about this?"

"Oh yes, and how was I supposed to explain that? I can see it now. 'Excuse me Madame Pomfrey. You see I have these injuries all over my body from where my housemates have been beating me. Could you fix them up? Oh, and please don't make a fuss.' Yeah. That would have gone down brilliantly." Draco regretted the harshness of his comments as soon as the words left his lips. It wasn't Seamus' fault that he was in this situation, and he shouldn't be taking his frustrations out on the other boy.

"But why are they doing this to you?" to Seamus the concept of having your own housemates beat you like that regularly was unfathomable.

"Oh I don't know." Draco could not keep the sarcasm from his voice "because they are in a bad mood. Because they feel like it. Because I disgust them and I deserve it."

"You do not deserve this. Nobody deserves this." Seamus grasped Draco's chin and forced him to look into his eyes. "Nobody has the right to touch you. They should not be doing this to you."

Draco looked away and Seamus sighed. How was it that someone who could appear to be as self confident as Draco could have such a poor sense of self worth? Who had done this to him? Seamus' chain of thought was broken by Harry's return.

"I can't keep them out of here forever. It is their dorm as well you know." Harry called as he walked in. "Honestly Seamus, couldn't you find somewhere more private than a shared bedroom to strip your boyfriend? Anyone could walk in on you…" Harry's voice trailed off as he registered the horrendous state of Draco's body. The blond Slytherin hurriedly tried to cover himself, but it was too late.

"What happened to you?" Harry demanded.

"Nothing." Draco lied. He really didn't wand Harry involved.

"He won't go see Madame Pomfrey." Seamus told Harry, wishing that there were something the dark haired boy could do to remedy the situation.

"Right." Harry replied "Well, you are going to have to leave now. The others will be up here soon. You two can meet somewhere tomorrow, but right now Draco is going to see Madame Pomfrey."

"I don't want to." Draco argued "I'm fine. Really."

"I don't care whether you want to. I am going to go there with you regardless, and if you don't come I'll tell Seamus." Draco looked at Seamus and seeing the concern in the other boy's eyes, the Slytherin was flooded with guilt. He didn't need to be causing Seamus any more pain but leaving him to worry.

"Alright, all right, I'll go."

"Good. Now come on." Harry said handing Draco the invisibility cloak that had been left lying on Seamus' bed. Draco once again disappeared under the fabric, and Seamus watched as Harry led him out of the dorm.


	10. hospital

Chapter 10 hospital

Harry left the Gryffindor tower assuming that Draco was following. As he neared the hospital he slowed down to allow the Slytherin the catch up. Draco removed the cloak and offered it to Harry, who shook his head.

"No, you keep it for now. You will need it if you want to see Seamus again."

"I don't think that that is such a good idea." Draco replied "If my father were to find out…"

"Oh, you're so worried about your father finding out that his son has been a bad boy. If you really cared about Seamus you would fight for him." Harry lectured, not in the mood to listen to self-pity.

"It's because I care about him that I don't think it's such a good idea. You think you know what my father is like but you don't. You know nothing." Draco argued "You think you know how dangerous my father is, you think you know what he is capable of, but you haven't the vaguest idea. I'm not worried about what would happen to me, I don't care what my father does to me. My only concern is Seamus. You have no idea what my father would do to him if he found out."

"But Seamus is willing to risk this. He is willing to fight for this, so why aren't you? You saw the effect seeing you had on him this evening. I haven't seen Seamus that happy for a long time."

"I don't want to give up." Draco tried to explain "I love Seamus and I could never do anything to hurt him." Draco turned and walked away. Harry watched him as he disappeared behind the door to the hospital.

"It's rather late Master Malfoy. I assume you have a good reason for being here?" Madame Pomfrey demanded.

"Well yes." Draco said slowly. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain his condition. If he told her the truth it would only make his situation worse.

"Well, what is it?" the school nurse demanded impatiently.

"Umm," Draco quickly thought of a lie "You see we had Quidditch practice tonight, and it got kind of rough, and…"

"Alright." Madame Pomfrey interrupted "Show me."

Relieved he wasn't going to have to explain, Draco removed his robes. Madame Pomfrey was barely able to hide her shock. She inspected Draco's body, her concern only increasing with each new injury discovered. She had been a nurse for years, and someone with less experience would be able to tell that the injuries on his body varied in age, and that there was no way they could have all occurred that night.

"Draco," she pried kindly "how did this happen?"

"I told you." he lied "Quidditch practice."

Madame Pomfrey had spent years cleaning up Quidditch injuries and saw right through Draco's story. There were a few injuries that were the right size and shape that it was _possible_ they could have been sustained playing the brutal sport, but most of them were definitely gained some other way. She didn't push the point, because she knew Draco would never tell her the truth, and next time he might not come back. Instead, she gave Draco a draught of painkiller and set about treating his wounds.

"You should have come to me as soon as this happened." she scolded "You have three broken ribs. Healing bones is no problem. You shouldn't have put up with the pain."

Draco nodded. The strong painkiller had a sedative effect and the Slytherin was feeling passive and drowsy.

"You will need to take it easy for the next few days to allow the bruising to go down, and I suggest you have an early night." Madame Pomfrey ordered.

As he redressed himself, Draco promised he would go straight to bed. He was feeling sleepy anyway, and he didn't think he could stay awake much longer even if he wanted to. Madame Pomfrey watched as he left in the direction of the Slytherin dormitories. As soon as he'd disappeared from sight, Madame Pomfrey closed the door to the hospital and headed off towards the teacher's lounge.

Snape and Dumbledore were sitting alone in the teacher's lounge when they were startled by the sudden appearance of Madame Pomfrey.

"Professors I need to talk to you." she announced upon her entrance.

"What is it Poppy?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's young Draco Malfoy." she began as a sense of dread built in the two men "He has just come to see me and I am very concerned. He looks as though someone has been beating him. And from the state of him it has been happening for awhile."

"What did he tell you had happened?" Snape demanded. He had suspected that something like this had been happening, but he had no way to prove it. Madame Pomfrey explained that Draco had told her his injuries had been sustained playing Quidditch. She described the boy's injuries and told the two men that after years of working at the school she found it impossible to believe his story.

"So he didn't tell you who was responsible?" Snape pushed. Madame Pomfrey shook her head.

"No he clamed up. But it is obvious someone has been abusing him. I didn't ask too many questions, because I knew that if I did, the next time this happened he would not come to me. And I refuse to do anything that could result in students wandering the school with serious injuries." Madame Pomfrey's first priority was the health of the students. She was dedicated to her job and hated the thought of the children suffering.

"We don't doubt what you are saying," Dumbledore assured her "but we need to know who is responsible before we can act. If we respond without this knowledge we may only make matters worse. For all we know his father couldbe involved."

"I want something done about this. As school nurse I am responsible for the children's health. I will not stand by while one of the students is forced to endure this king of torture." Madame Pomfrey could sense that she was being brushed off, but she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"I will have a word with the teachers and tell them to keep a closer eye on Master Malfoy." Dumbledore promised "And I am sure that Severus will make his presence felt amongst the students of his house." Snape nodded his agreement.

Madame Pomfrey wasn't pleased about the situation, but what else could she do? As the headmaster had said, they did not know who was responsible, and she did not want to make matters worse. If Lucius was involved as they had suggested, then any interference, no matter how well intentioned, could only be disastrous.

When Harry returned to the common room, Seamus ambushed him and dragged him aside. The blond boy demanded to know whether his boyfriend had done as he was told. Harry nodded his head to assure Seamus that Draco had been to see the school nurse, and the other boy calmed a little.

"I'm worried about him." Seamus confided "His housemates get away with doing that to him. He just puts up with it because he believes that he deserves it. He will probably lie to Madame Pomfrey so no one will know what has been going on. Then the whole vicious cycle will continue. Do you think we should tell Dumbledore?"

"You can tell Dumbledore if you want." Harry offered "But that will cause a whole new set of problems. Didn't you say that Dumbledore had told you to stay away from Draco? Besides, Madame Pomfrey is not stupid. She has been at Hogwarts for long enough to be able to tell the difference between Quidditch injuries and the signs of an attack. I'll go with you to tell Dumbledore if you want, but my guess is that he would already know."

Seamus nodded. He would leave the situation alone for now. He decided that he would talk to Draco the next day and see how he was. If the situation didn't improve over the next few days, then he would go to Dumbledore.


	11. Summer

Chapter 11 Summer

As the weeks dragged on, life returned to a semblance of normalcy. With the aid of Harry, Seamus and Draco were able to meet privately, in much the same way they had before they had come out. This made them both much happier. As the fought off the depression that had threatened to ensnare them, their eating and sleeping habits returned to normal. Harry noticed that they gained a little weight, and they both looked much healthier. All the teachers kept a closer eye on Draco. Although the bulling did not cease, it declined enough that Seamus, who was studying medical magic, was able to tend to Draco injuries without requiring the involvement of Madame Pomfrey. Despite all this, Seamus was still not entirely happy with the situation.

"Draco you should tell someone." Seamus nagged "You shouldn't be letting them do this to you. Nobody is allowed to hurt you." Seamus sighed as he rubbed ointment into the bruises on Draco's chest. It was an old argument that he felt he was never going to win.

"It would only make things worse. Besides, I'd prefer to have you rubbing that stuff over my chest than some old witch." Realising that Seamus was not amused by this attempt at humour, Draco quickly changed his line of argument "Anyway, it's almost the end of term. I'll go hope and recover, and by the time we return everyone will have forgotten about us." Seamus was worried the most by the thought that Draco had actually convinced himself that everything would be that simple.

"You have to go to Dumbledore. This has to be stopped before it gets out of hand. If you don't go, I will." Seamus threatened.

"No you won't." Draco called his bluff "You wouldn't go to him. Not if I really didn't want you to. Which I don't. Besides, it has all calmed down a lot now. I haven't had as many problems as I used to."

Seamus dropped his head. "I care about you Draco. I hate the thought of anyone hurting you. I hate seeing you like this. I hate the thought of you being in pain, and being unable to stop it."

"I'm alright, really. I am used to it now. I don't let it get to me anymore." He placed a hand under the Gryffindor's chin and forced him to look him in the eye. "You have a big heart. You care so very deeply about people and that is part of why you mean so much to me. But you don't need to worry so much about me. I will be fine." he kissed Seamus lightly on the lips for emphasis.

/I only wish I could believe that./ Seamus thought /I don't think I could cope if anything were to happen to you./ Seamus wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist and drew him close.

"Be careful." he pleaded softly in Draco's ear. "Take care of yourself. I don't know what I would do if anything were to happen to you." Draco's heart ached. He was touched by Seamus' care and felt he owed it to the Irish boy to take care of himself. After a few minutes Seamus untangled himself from the Slytherin's hold.

"You had better go." He sighed. "The other's should be coming back shortly. We really have to stop meeting in my dorm." Draco kissed him on the forehead and stood.

"I'll see you later." he promised and gave Seamus a heartfelt smile before donning the invisibility cloak and leaving the room.

As the weeks passed the other Gryffindors became suspicious. They started to suspect that Seamus' long absences were because he was meting Draco again. Nobody said anything about it. They had all noticed how much happier Seamus had become, and they didn't want to ruin that for him.

The Slytherin's also developed similar suspicions. They were far less pleased with the prospect.

"Where have you been?" Blaise exploded as Draco entered the common room.

"I've been for a walk. Not that it's any of your business." Draco seemed to receive the third degree anytime he left Blaise's sight. It was beginning to irritate him.

"Liar." Blaise's fist connected with Draco's face and the blond was thrown back a step.

"What was that for?" Draco yelled. Draco resisted the urge to rub his jaw. He was not going to give Blaise that satisfaction.

"I don't like liars." Blaise stated passively.

"And I don't like psychotic bastards, but I don't go around hitting people for it!" Draco yelled again. He'd had enough. Blaise had been toeing the line for quite some time. Draco was just itching for a reason to fight.

"You have been off with that mudblood Gryffindor again." Blaise's voice was rising hysterically. "I'm not stupid. I can tell. Merlin Malfoy, you really disgust me."

"You have no proof of that. You only have assumptions. Speculation." Draco's voice had returned to a normal level. He knew if he wanted to win this argument, he would have to remain in control.

"You are a bloody liar Malfoy. Maybe we should find that filthy little mudblood and beat the truth out of him."

"Watch who you are calling a liar Zambini." Draco's voice turned deadly calm. It was as cold as ice, and cut like a blade. "Do not mess with me. You have no idea what I am capable of doing. I will not be trifled with."

The two Slytherins glared at each other until Blaise broke the eye contact. He bowed his head and moved out of Draco's path. Draco had won this round. As Draco made his way down to the dormitories the other Slytherins scattered in their hurry to get of his way. By now they had all heard about the time Draco had spent with Voldemort over the Christmas holidays and were terrified of what they thought he could do. Seamus was safe for now. There was only a week until the term finished, and then he would return home where the Gryffindor would be out of their reach.

Draco sighed. He was going to miss his boyfriend. At least if Seamus was away from Hogwarts he wouldn't have to worry about the Slytherins hunting him down.

Dumbledore sighed and leant back into his chair. He looked across his desk at the two teachers seated opposite. The three of them were convinced that Seamus and Draco were dating again despite all advice to the contrary.

"Well I think it is a good thing. They have both seemed much healthier since they have been dating. Both physically and mentally. They have even improved their efforts with their class work." There was a murmur of disagreement.

"Yes, Minerva, but is sense Severus has a different opinion?" Dumbledore looked at the Potions master questioningly.

"I feel Minerva's view is rather short sighted." Snape began "Do not misunderstand me. I am relieved the boys are back to their old selves. But what happens when Lucius finds out? He will find out. Let's not confuse ourselves about that."

Dumbledore sighed again. There didn't seem to be any desirable resolution. "I don't know what we are going to do. It would appear obvious that we can not keep the boys apart, even if only for their own good. I can see we are going to have to keep a very close eye on them during these summer holidays. We have to wait and see what happens. There is nothing we can do at the moment." Professor McGonagall nodded.

"That may not be enough." Snape argued. "If Lucius decides he no longer wants to send his son to this school there is nothing we can do to stop him. Then we will not only be failing to protect Draco as his teachers, we will also be failing as members of the Order to protect an innocent from the Dark Arts."

"But there is nothing we can do." McGonagall protested.

"There must be something we can do." Snape turned to Dumbledore.

"Minerva is right." Dumbledore stated. "There is nothing we can do just yet. I will have someone watch Seamus during the holidays to ensure his safety, but other than that it is just a waiting game. If Lucius prevents his son's return to Hogwarts next term then the Order will take steps to ensure young Master Malfoy's safety."

"I only hope that is not too late." Snape whispered.


	12. Holidays

Chapter 12 Holidays

The end of term passed like a dream for Seamus. Even with exams, just being able to see Draco made things seem more controllable. It was the last day of school and he was going to meet Draco that evening. He couldn't have felt happier and was looking forward to their meeting. Sure, they were going to be separated for a while, but the summer holidays weren't that long. Soon enough they would be back at school, and they could see each other again.

Seamus sat in his usual spot at the Gryffindor table at lunch. He looked across the hall at Draco, gave the other blond a heartfelt grin then returned his attention to his meal. His stomach was complaining because it needed food.

The end of term passed like a dream for Draco. Even with exams, just being able to see Seamus made things seem more controllable. It was the last day of school and he was going to meet Draco that evening. He couldn't have felt less happy and was dreading their meeting. They were going to be separated for a while, the summer holidays were long, and there was no guarantee that he would be back at school, or that they would ever see each other again.

Draco sat in his usual spot at the Slytherin table at lunch. He looked across the hall at Seamus, gave the other blond a false smile then returned his attention to his meal. He stood and left the room. His stomach was complaining because it couldn't handle any food.

That night Seamus could barely contain his excitement about their meeting. He had a surprise for Draco and he was sure the other boy would love it. He couldn't wait to see the other boy's response. He was so excited he even had to remind himself to eat. Seamus stayed at dinner for only as long as he thought he must in order to prevent anyone noticing his absence.

From across the hall Draco watched as the blond Gryffindor left and sighed. He was reluctant to leave. What if this were to be the last time that he would ever speak to Seamus? What if after they left Kings Cross Station tomorrow he never saw Seamus again? Draco couldn't bare the thought of it. He hated good-byes, and this one would be painful. As he stood he tried to drive the thought from his mind. He would go meet Seamus and if this were to be their last night together, then he would make it memorable.

Draco detoured via the Slytherin dormitories on his way to meet Seamus. He didn't want to arouse suspicion and he didn't want anyone to follow him. He removed Harry's invisibility cloak from his trunk and put in on for what he suspected would be the last time. He closed the curtains on his bed and hoped earnestly that no one would come looking for him. He turned and left.

Draco made his way to the room of requirement where he had arranged to meet Seamus. He walked in to find Seamus lying on a rug, reading. The Gryffindor hadn't heard the door open upon his entrance. Draco stood in the doorway watching his boyfriend for a moment. He smiled to himself. Seamus looked so peaceful lying there. He was so happy. This was exactly how Draco wanted to remember the other boy. He just hoped Seamus could stay that way.

_/Don't think like that./ _he berated himself_ /Live in the now. If this is the last time we are going to be together, then make the most of it./ _Draco gathered his resolve and removed the invisibility cloak. Seamus glimpsing the movement looked up and offered a welcoming smile.

"Hi." Seamus greeted coyly as he rolled onto his side. He patted an empty space on the rug next to him.

"Hi." Draco whispered back. He walked over to Seamus and sat next to him. He handed the invisibility cloak to Seamus. "Here. You'd better take this. Harry might want it over the holidays."

Seamus took the cloak and set it aside. He sat up and wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist.

"I'm going to miss you." Draco whispered into his ear.

"Sssshh." Seamus hushed "Don't think about it. I'm not. Besides, it's not such a long time."

But Draco feared that it might be. He felt guilty. He couldn't bring himself to voice the thought that he might not be coming back. He didn't want to hurt Seamus. He didn't want to take away the peaceful happiness that was radiating from Seamus. Draco's chain of pessimistic thought was broken when he felt Seamus' grip tighten around his waist.

"You are very quiet." Seamus said gently "Are you alright?" In response Draco smiled and kissed Seamus' forehead.

"I love you." he sighed "You are the most important person in my life. I don't think that I could live without you." Seamus looked up into Draco's eyes to see they were full of emotion.

"You make it sound as though I'm never going to see you again. Cheer up. It's only the summer holidays." Draco sighed and snuggled closer to Seamus.

"What if my father keeps me home? What if I am not allowed to return to Hogwarts next term?" Seamus could sense Draco's fear. What worried him the most was the thought that these fears were not groundless. Seamus gently kissed Draco's lips calmly.

"Don't worry about it. We will sort out that problem if it comes. Amongst muggles there is this saying; 'love conquers all.' I believe everything will turn out alright." Seamus observed that Draco was sinking further into thought and decided to lighten the mood. He grinned cheekily "If you don't come back to school, I will go to your house, abduct you, and we can runaway to live in a cardboard box together."

Draco laughed. "I love you Seamus. You mean more to me than anyone in the world. You are the only person who has ever truly loved me for who I am, and I can't begin to thank you for that."

"I love you too Draco." Seamus removed two identical two-toned bracelets from a pocket within his robes. He gave one to Draco and fastened the other around his own wrist.

As Draco accepted the bracelet he inspected it closely. It consisted of a series of alternating gold and silver charms. The gold charms were stylised lions, and the silver charms were snakes. Both images were a match for the boys' house crests. Between each charm was a small, red heart shaped stone.

"What's this?" Draco looked at Seamus, his expression unreadable.

"It is just a little present." Seamus replied as he took the bracelet and fastened it around Draco's wrist. "The snakes represent you because you are a Slytherin. The lions…"

"…the lions are for you. Because you are a Gryffindor." Draco continued.

"The heart is he most important part. Without it the rest would not be held together." Seamus concluded. He had put a lot of thought into designing this present. Then it had taken him a long time to find someone who could make it for him. It had been expensive, but he thought it was worth every Knut. Draco sat staring at the bracelet. Seamus began to feel nervous. "Do you like it?"

Draco looked up and smiled. "I love it. The amount of thought you put into this is one of the reasons why I love you so much."

Seamus lent towards Draco. Their lips met and they both felt the chemistry course through their bodies like electricity. It was a long time before the pair broke apart. When they did, Seamus rested his forehead against Draco's.

"Draco." Seamus whispered "I want to make love with you."

"Are you sure?" Seamus unbuttoned Draco's shirt in response.

Draco woke the next morning at dawn. He looked down at his boyfriend who lay asleep, snuggled close to the warmth of Draco's body. Draco kissed the other blond on the forehead. Seamus' eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Draco and smiled.

"We had better get up." Draco stated reluctantly. He made no attempt to move. He did not want the moment to end.

"Come on. If you don't you will miss breakfast." Seamus ordered as he stood. He dragged Draco to his feet after him.

You know it will look a little suspicious if we both arrive in the Great Hall at the same time."

"Well then I'll take Harry's cloak back to my dorm first and see you there. But what about you? Won't someone have noticed your absence last night?" Seamus was flooded with a sudden concern for the safety of his boyfriend.

"No. I used a spell to seal the curtains on my bed last night. If anyone came in they would have assumed I was asleep. If I go straight to the Great Hall they will just think I got up before them."

Seamus smiled and kissed the other boy passionately in farewell. The spirit of both boys and all their unspoken words were poured into that one kiss. They both knew that this would be the last time they could be near each other before they left. When they broke apart Seamus lightly brushed a stray wisp of hair away from Draco's eyes. He then turned, picked up the almost forgotten Invisibility Cloak, and walked from the room.

Draco watched Seamus leave and smiled. The blond Gryffindor's enthusiasm and bubbly personality were infectious. As Draco walked down to breakfast it took every ounce of self-control to stop him from skipping.

When Seamus walked into the common room Harry was already up.

"Where were you last night?" Harry demanded. Seamus only smiled. "Okay. You don't need to answer that. I think I can guess."

"Here." Seamus handed Harry the Invisibility Cloak and explained that Draco thought he would need it over the holidays. Seamus didn't know how to thank Harry for everything he had done. Without Harry, the other two boys would never have been able to see each other. Harry seemed to understand.

"So how was it?" Harry asked. Seamus closed his eyes, held his arms out horizontally and allowed himself to fall back into the chair opposite Harry. There were no words to describe how complete Seamus felt. "That good huh?"

Seamus opened his eyes and sighed. "I love him so much. I am going to miss him over the holidays." His expression darkened "Draco is afraid that his father will not allow him to return to Hogwarts next term."

"Don't worry about him." Harry reassured the other boy "Dumbledore will watch out for him. He would not let anything happen to Draco." Seamus smiled.

"You know, I don't think I've heard you call him 'Malfoy' for ages." Harry had also noticed this. He didn't think it would ever happen, but lately he had been seeing Draco in a new light. He had begun to understand what it was that attracted Seamus to him. Seamus misinterpreted Harry's contemplative mood. "It is a good thing. Now come on, let's go down to breakfast. I'm starving." Harry laughed and followed his friend.

As the students piled onto the train latter that day, there were only two students who were dreading the coming school break. One was becoming increasing concerned about the other, who in turn was gradually being consumed by fear.

Seamus followed Harry and Ron onto the train. He paused in the carriage doorway and looked down the platform to see Draco standing alone, his trunk levitating in front of him. The blond Gryffindor couldn't help but wonder if perhaps his boyfriend was right. What would happen to Draco if his father so much as suspected he was seeing Seamus again? If Draco wasn't to return to Hogwarts, what kind of horrors would he be forced to endure instead?

"Hurry up Seamus!"

Harry's beckoning broke Seamus' chain of thought. Seamus moved out of the doorway. All he could do was wait. He wouldn't know anything for sure until he returned to school in September. Draco would either be there, or he wouldn't.

Draco walked along behind his case and shut himself inside an empty compartment. He knew he would remain alone for the rest of the journey. By the beginning of first year he had successful isolated himself from the other houses. More recently he had become detached from his own housemates. The only person he knew would be willing to sit with him Draco knew would be endangering himself by doing so. No. Draco knew he was going to have to remain alone. Draco had never been religious, but as the train pulled away from the station he found himself praying to any deity willing to listen, asking for them to ensure he would be able to return to Hogwarts. He hoped more than anything that his father would not find out about him and Seamus.

As the train pulled away from the almost empty station, two pairs of eyes watched. Deep within his gut, Snape felt an ominous feeling develop.

"Well there they go." he muttered forebodingly.

"I am not any happier about this situation than you are." Professor McGonagal replied flatly. "But you know what Albus said."

" 'It's just a waiting game.' " Snape quoted morbidly "What I fear is that if we wait, it will be too late."

"Well that is a risk we are just going to have to take."


	13. Homecomings

Chapter 13 Homecomings

Lucius Malfoy stood on platform nine and three quarters waiting for the Hogwarts Express. As the train pulled up and students spilled out Draco stared out the window. At the sight of his father he sighed. It was going to be a long summer. Draco gathered his resolve along with his belongings and left the train. He walked over to his father and stopped directly in front of him.

Lucius Malfoy stared down coldly at his son. Draco was not as intimidated as he would have been in past years. Over the last year he had grown quite a lot and was beginning to fill out. His father no longer towered over him. No, this year Draco was far more hurt than intimidated.

_/Why does he treat me like this/ _Draco thought gloomily as he broke eye contact with his father_ /All these other kids, their parents hug them and kiss them. They complain that it is embarrassing, but at least they know they are loved and were missed. I've never had that./ _in the back of his mind Draco registered that Lucius had spoken and he looked up, his brooding disturbed.

"I said let's go." Lucius repeated "Your mother will be expecting us." Draco nodded in compliance. From the corner of his eye he saw his boyfriend. Seamus winked at Draco as Lucius placed a hand on his son's shoulder and disapperated.

As Seamus watched his boyfriend disappear, his mother barrelled up behind him and pulled him into a suffocating tight hug. Seamus knew she missed him while he was at school, but this was ridiculous. "Mum." he choked "I can't breathe."

She released her hold on him, and Seamus quickly moved out of arms reach before she could change her mind. As her husband approached her expression suddenly turned serious.

"Let's go home." she said "We have a lot to talk about. We have been hearing some very… interesting stories about what has been going on this year."

Seamus grimaced. The _interesting _stories were probably all true. A sense of apprehension was building. He sighed as he followed his parents through the porthole to King's Cross Station.

Draco and his father arrived at Malfoy Manor and were greeted at the door by his mother.

"Come on." Narcissa ordered "Dinner is ready." Draco sighed. He hadn't really expected to receive a proper welcome, but it would have been a nice surprise.

As Draco took his usual place in the dining room, he was struck by how ridiculously large the table was. There were only three of them, and this table could seat twelve. As if that wasn't enough, the table could be expanded to seat more. It would never have occurred to Draco's parents to use a smaller, friendlier table. Anything less than impressive was not acceptable.

He looked across the table at Lucius. If the size of the table was ridiculous, what was even more unbelievable was that he would always have to sit at the foot of the table, while his father sat at the head, with all that space between them. Draco believed that this was his father's way of constantly reminding him of who was in charge.

As a pair of house elves silently brought in their dinner, Narcissa sat next to her husband. At this sight Draco was hit by an inescapable sense of isolation. He did not belong here. Nothing would ever change that. Draco looked down at his plate in a vain effort to distract himself from his pain.

Seamus stared down at his plate to avoid looking his parents in the eyes. He ignored his father's question. He was afraid.

"Well Seamus," his father repeated "is it true? Are you gay?"

Seamus did not want to be having this conversation. No matter how much his parents loved him, or how opened minded they were, something instinctive told him this conversation was only going to lead to them being disappointed.

"Well?" his mother demanded. Seamus looked up at his parents and nodded.

Seamus felt trapped. He waited nervously for a reaction. Suddenly he seemed to be too close to his parents. The table was too small. The kitchen was too small. And too hot. He felt the compulsion to run out of the house into the street and scream. He didn't.

"What about everything else we have been hearing?" his mother asked "Is that true?" Seamus looked down at his plate.

"If you mean," he answered almost inaudibly "have I been dating a certain well known blond Slytherin with a bad reputation and a father who is a suspected Deatheater, then yes, it's true."

"But why Draco Malfoy? Of all the boys at your school!" And there it was. The disappointment. Seamus could hear it in his mother's voice, and he knew if he looked up, he would be able to see it in her eyes. Seamus felt sick, and the smell of the food in front of his was making him feel nauseous. He pushed the plate away and looked up at his parents.

"You don't understand…" he objected.

"It's Draco Malfoy!" his mother shouted "His father is Lucius Malfoy, an evil cold-blooded murderer if ever there was one. His son is destined to follow the same path, and is doing well so far."

"He's not like that." Seamus screamed "Everyone keeps saying that about him. They all expect it of him, but he doesn't want to be like that. He would rather die than become a Deatheater. The last thing he wants is to turn into his father."

His mother shook her head and turned to her husband. "Our son has been seduced by a malicious, evil, exploitative, noxious brat. He can't even see the truth anymore."

"No!" Seamus screamed hysterically as he jumped to his feet. How could his mother think that of him? How could she think that he would be so easily deceived? Why didn't they understand? Why wouldn't they just listen to him?

"Sit down." His father ordered. Emotion clogged Seamus' throat leaving him unable to speak. He shook his head and fled from the room.

He fled up the stairs to his bedroom. He collapsed face down on his bed. A glint of light on metal drew Seamus' attention to his bracelet. He couldn't understand why everyone hated Draco so much. So he had a reputation for having a big mouth. He had never done anything to really hurt anyone. Most of his reputation was because of his father. Why would his parents not listen to him? He loved Draco and their attitude hurt. Seamus stared at the bracelet.

Draco sat staring at his bracelet. He wished that Seamus were there. Draco's attention was disturbed by his father's voice. He looked up nervously. They hadn't spoken throughout dinner, and that was never a good sign. As one of the house elves removed his plate, Lucius repeated his question.

"Have you been seeing that filthy mudblood again?"

The answer that ran through Draco's mind was 'No. Whatever would make you think that?' But that was not the answer that left his lips. He had no control over what he said.

"Yes father." These two condemning words fell from his mouth before he could stop them. Lucius' interrogation continued.

"How were you able to do this without your housemates finding out. They watched you closely and did not observe anything."

"I borrowed Potter's invisibility cloak and sneaked out of my dorm." Draco was horrified. He hadn't meant to say that. It was as if he no longer had any control over the words that poured from his mouth.

"You look shocked." Lucius smirked "You didn't honestly think I would allow you to sit there and lie to me did you?"

"No father." The response was automatic. Draco wasn't even thinking before he answered now.

"No, I wouldn't." Lucius continued "So I had Veritasserum added to your water to ensure you didn't try to lie to me."

"But isn't that stuff illegal?" Draco tried desperately. He fear was clouding his mind and he was no longer thinking clearly. His began wishing this was all a terrible nightmare, and tried vainly to awake from the horrendous situation.

"Since when has anything as trivial as _the law_ bothered me? You have turned soft since Christmas. It seems I am going to have to re-educate you." Draco barely managed to contain his fear. He did not know what his father's idea of re-education was, but it could not be good.

"Can't we leave this for now?" Narcissa interrupted "The boy has only just arrived home and he is probably tired. It's late and he's not thinking straight. Draco go to bed and we will deal with this in the morning." Draco was only too happy to comply with his mother's orders. He fled from the room before his father could object.

He hurried to his bedroom and closed the door behind him, praying that his father would leave the issue until the next day. Hopefully by the morning Lucius would have calmed down. The young blond collapsed on his bed in an emotionally drained heap.

There was a knock at the door.

"Go away." The room's sole occupant ordered.

Seamus realised his request had been ignored when he heard the door creak open. He refused to roll over to face the door. He was not willing to acknowledge the intruder's entrance in any way.

"Seamus?" A voice asked tentatively. There was a pause. "Son?" Mr Finnigan's voice was filled with concern.

Seamus took a deep breath and braced himself. He rolled over. Seamus silently stared at his father, forcing his father to make the next move. The older man took this as an invitation to enter, and moved from the doorway to sit on the end of Seamus' bed. For a while the two remained silent.

"You hate me, don't you?" Seamus asked, looking up at his father.

"No Seamus. We don't hate you." his father's heart ached to think his son could believe that. "We could never hate you. You are our son. We were just a little…"

"Disappointed." Seamus concluded gloomily. He had never really expected his parents to understand, but now that it was happening, the situation hurt more than he had expected.

"No. Not disappointed." his father corrected "We were a little surprised."

Seamus looked up balefully. "What about what mum said over dinner? She virtually had a fit! She was angry."

"She just doesn't understand what it is about this boy that attracted you to him." his father tried to explain.

"He isn't good enough for her." Seamus muttered bitterly. "She was disappointed."

"Yes, well I don't blame her, considering everything she has told me about his father…"

"DRACO IS NOT HIS FATHER! WHY DOES NOBODY UNDERSTAND THAT!" Seamus yelled, unable to hold back his frustration.

"Alright, calm down." his father tried vainly to placate him.

"No I will not calm down." Seamus yelled, "You are not listening to me. You both feel you can judge him based on what his father is like. But he is not his father. You don't know him, and you have no right to judge him. You can't say you disapprove of him or say he is not good enough until you have given him a chance!" As his anger had increased, Seamus had risen from his bed and now stood glaring down defiantly at his father. His mother who had been walking past stopped and stood in the doorway. Seamus turned and glared at her. "But no." he continued snidely "Some people would die rather than give a Malfoy a chance."

"Sometimes giving some people a chance only gives them the opportunity to cause harm. Some people are just born evil." His mother matched his glare impassively.

"And some people are merely misunderstood." Seamus whispered, and he felt his spirit breaking. His mother pretending she hadn't heard anything. She turned and left Seamus alone with his father.

"If you want us to give him a chance then why don't you invite him over here?" Mr Finnigan tried to find a resolution that would suit all. Seamus shook his head.

"Do you really think mum would let him through the front door?" he looked down at his feet. "Besides, his father would never stand for it. We have to hide our relationship from him or there will be trouble. He threatened to remove Draco from Hogwarts if he didn't break up with me, so we have had to pretend that we aren't seeing each other. It's not fair. I can't do anything or go anywhere with my boyfriend in public for fear of how people will react."

"That can't be easy." his father soothed. Seamus sighed and began to relax. He had always been more at ease with his father. He felt his mother expected too much, and was far too smothering.

"It's not easy, but it's worth it. I really love him." Seamus sighed again and returned to his earlier position lying on the bed. His father took this as his cue to leave, and walked out of the room, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Draco lay on his back staring at the ceiling thinking. The door flew open and Draco didn't need to look to know who was storming in. He wasn't really surprised. He had no privacy in this house. That would require respect from the other inhabitants.

"How could you do this to me?" his father yelled "How could you bring such shame on my family? Well I am not going to allow it to continue. You will have to prove that you are worthy of the name Malfoy.

You will not be communicating with this mudblood. I will not tolerate it. If I discover you have, and don't think for a moment that you will be able to deceive me, there will be severe consequences. And you should understand how easy it is for me to get at this boy."

Lucius glared at his son who was almost frozen with fear. One small, destructive part of his mind whispered that he did not want to be considered worthy of the name Malfoy. He quenched that thought mercilessly. It would only make his life more unpleasant. Lucius made to leave the room. As he reached the door, he momentarily turned back to his son.

"Do not for a moment believe that you will be returning to Hogwarts. You will not. Although your behaviour over the next month will dictate the form your future education will take. You can choose how _pleasant_ it will be."

With that Lucius left the room, slamming the door in disgust. Draco remained silent for a while after. He thought deeply. Maybe if he behave like the good little Deatheater-to-be whom his father wanted him to be his father might change his mind about keeping him home from school. Draco didn't really believe this. His father NEVER went back on his word.

He had almost given up hope when his mother entered the room. She walked over to him and sat on the edge of his bed. They sat for a while. Draco broke to silence.

"He wants to keep me from Hogwarts." The statement was void of all emotion. Draco had nothing left to give.

"No he won't. Not if I have any say in the matter. Besides, he doesn't really want you to stay here. It's enough for him to cope with you during the holidays. He wouldn't know what to do with you if you were here all the time."

Draco said nothing. He knew his mother had a point, but for as long as he could remember it had always seemed that his mother would disagree with his father to be quarrelsome. He was never sure if what she wanted was really in his best interests or merely done for the sake of argument. Draco looked at Narcissa.

"I'm sorry mother." he lied "I am really tired. It was a long trip on the train and I need some sleep."

Narcissa nodded in approval and left him alone with his thoughts.


	14. Vacations

Chapter 14 Vacations

As the holidays passed, life for Seamus and Draco returned to the way it had been before they were dating. Seamus' mother treated him the way she always had, and the only difference in her behaviour was that she acted as though Draco and the entire Malfoy family had never existed. This did hurt Seamus, but for the most part he was happy. His life was good. His parents had taken the news that their son was gay far better than they had expected. They had told him that they were comfortable with his sexual orientation. His mother made it clear that she did not approve of this _particular _boyfriend and Seamus knew that it had nothing to do with Draco's gender. Seamus knew that even if Draco had been born a girl, his mother would still not approve. Seamus had resigned himself to the situation. He had come to the realisation that his mother was determined to judge Draco without ever meeting him, and there was nothing either boy could do to change her opinion of the Slytherin. Seamus didn't like the situation, but there was nothing he could do. He conceded that the situation could have been worse, and he couldn't help but wonder how life was going for Draco.

Life for Draco was far less pleasant. His parents were not prepared to accept that their son was gay. His father's approach to the 'problem' was 'discipline' and 're-education.' Lucius inflicted Draco with his own views of 'normal' and 'acceptable' and lectured the boy on what he believed it meant to be a Malfoy. He told Draco that if he couldn't convince himself to be 'normal' then he would at least pretend to be. Lucius made it clear that Draco was expected to hide his 'abnormality.' Draco had never really expected their response to be anything else. Despite this realisation, he still found himself wishing that his parents could love him for who he was. He hoped that Seamus was receiving the love he missed. He hated to think Seamus was enduring that kind of torment.

Draco hadn't received any mail from Seamus and had not attempted to contact the other boy. As time passed this helped to calm Lucius. As the holidays progressed Draco's training in the Dark Arts and the Dark Side advanced earnestly. This should have convinced Draco he would never be returning to Hogwarts, but he refused to give up hope. This Hope was all he had left. Without it he would not have been able to endure the torment. Lucius made his authority felt and forced Draco to participate in activities Draco would rather forsake. Draco was forced to participate and witness activities that made his stomach churn. If Draco did not comply, or did not comply with the speed and enthusiasm Lucius expected, he would either be tortured of would be forced to endure Imperius. If Draco had thought his Christmas holidays had been hell. His life had disintegrated to the point where he longed for the innocence of that time.

Whenever Draco felt his spirit was about to break, whenever he felt tempted to give in and become everything his father wanted, it was at these moments that his attention would be drawn towards his bracelet. He would think of Seamus and he would know that he could not give in. He felt he owed Seamus the resistance. Seamus believed that Draco was a good person. Seamus believed Draco could achieve more than falling into the path of a Deatheater. Seamus believed in Draco when everyone else believed Draco was worthless and destined to turn evil. Seamus believed Draco was better than that, and Draco felt he had the responsibility to prove Seamus right. Seamus loved Draco and believed he had the strength to break the cycle and become whoever he wanted to be, instead of what his father wanted. Draco was determined to prove he deserved Seamus' trust. He was determined to earn the other boy's love, and that meant fighting for it. Draco didn't care if the rest of the world thought he was an evil bastard. There was one person who could see him for everything he was. There was one person willing to recognise everything good he could become. There was one person who could love him for who he truly was, and believed in everything Draco could be. Draco was determined to fight for him and prove him right.

As the holidays drew to a close Dumbledore called a meeting with McGonagall and Snape. They met to discuss the situation involving Seamus and Draco. As the three met, the air seemed to thicken ominously. A shiver coursed down each teacher's spine. Something was definitely wrong.

"I feel confident about Young Master Finnigan's safety." McGonagall began "I have been checking with the people watching over his house, and all reports suggest that Lucius has not attempted to do anything to harm the boy." Dumbledore nodded in agreement. He knew this already.

"Yes." he added, "The Order has been investigating the matter. It would seem that Lucius has no real interest in the boy whatsoever. This is good. It means we do not have to worry about that student."

"I'm more concerned about Malfoy." Snape interrupted "There has been no sight or sound of him since he and his father disapperated from platform 9 ¾. Even Draco's usual haunts have been abandoned. It would appear that he hasn't even left the house. This can not bode well for the boy. Merlin knows what Lucius has been doing with him for all this time. This situation should not have been allowed to occur. We should have do something to help the boy long ago."

Snape looked across at Minerva. She appeared far less concerned than he felt she should be. McGonagall was a Gryffindor and always had been. As such she found it incomprehensible that anyone would cause harm to their own family. Snape wished that she could understand that a Gryffindors loyalty is not shared by all. Snape had a lot of experience with Deatheater. Too much, he felt. He had tried to explain to her that some people would stop at nothing to get what they want. Minerva did not understand that some people would be willing to sacrifice their own families for personal gain. Snape felt that she was naïve to believe that all people had morals.

Dumbledore coughed politely, recapturing Snape's attention. He seemed to know exactly what the Potionsmaster had been thinking. The headmaster pulled a scroll from within his robes. Snape's blood froze. Instinct told him that this could not be good news.

"I am also worried about young Draco." Dumbledore concurred "" received this letter from Narcissa Malfoy this morning. Our worse fears for the boy have been realised." He handed the scroll the other two teachers who read quickly.

Sir

As the mother of Draco Malfoy I feel it is my duty to inform you that to my utmost disappointment my son will not be returning to your school this year.

My husband and I are very disappointed that you have allowed such an unnatural relationship to exist as has developed between my son and this other muggle-born boy. We expected your staff and yourself to ensure the moral welfare of our son, and are disappointed that you have failed in this duty. As a result, much to my protestations, my husband has taken the extreme position of deciding to keep our son home and see to his home schooling.

My husband feels that the schools standards have been allowed to slip, and no longer feels that sending Draco to Hogwarts will give him the best opportunity possible. I very much regret that this situation has occurred, but my husband is most insistent.

Yours sincerely

Narcissa Malfoy

Snape finished reading the letter and looked up in horror. He turned to Dumbledore, his expression demanding that the headmaster do something to remedy the situation. Dumbledore sighed and shook his head.

"There is nothing we can do. There is no evidence to suggest the boy is being abused, and we cannot just force our way into Malfoy Manor. If it were that simple the Ministry would have raided Lucius' home years ago. We must wait and see how this situation unfolds." Snape could barely contain his fury. He knew Dumbledore was right, and arguing was futile. He just hated to think that he would be leaving Draco in a situation with so much potential for harm.

The holidays were almost over and Seamus was becoming increasingly concerned about Draco. He had no doubts that if Lucius suspected anything, then the truth would be forced from Draco. But Seamus had no way of communicating with the other boy. He wasn't willing to try for fear it would jeopardise the Slytherin's safety. He was just going to have to wait, and see if the other boy arrived at school. It was the waiting which hurt the most.


	15. school

Chapter 15 School

The holidays drew to a close and Seamus could barely contain his excitement about returning to school. He was anxious to discover whether Draco would be returning. He hoped so. He hated to think what Draco would have to endure if he remained at home. Seamus missed the blond Slytherin and couldn't wait to see him again.

Seamus' enthusiasm was evident and his mother was not pleased. She knew exactly why Seamus was so delighted to be returning to school. No matter how hard her son tried to convince her otherwise, she could not believe that there was any good in Draco. In her mind Draco was only using Seamus. She could not believe that their relationship could result in anything other than pain for her son. The other boy had not even bothered to write to Seamus over the summer break. She believed that if Draco cared about her son as much as Seamus claimed he would have tried to make contact. Seamus still naïvely believed that Draco was avoiding him for his own safety. Mrs Finnigan felt helpless to save her son from the pain she feared was inevitable.

The night before he was due to return to school Seamus went to bed early. It was as if he believed that by going to bed early, the next day would come sooner. He fell asleep, thought of seeing Draco again ensuring he had pleasant dreams. His mother walked past his bedroom and peered in to see him asleep, pure contentment spread across his face. She shook her head in disappointment. If, no _when, _that other boy hurt her son, he would pay for it.

Draco was also anxious about the start of the school year, but for slightly different reasons. He did miss Seamus and wanted desperately to se him again, but he was unsure if this were going to happen. Neither of his parents had discussed his return to Hogwarts since the disastrous night he returned home. The only way he had been able to cope through the weeks he had been at home was to hope he would be able to see Seamus again at the end of it. He had been on his best behaviour the entire time. Never before had he striven so hard to please his father. He hoped desperately that if he were able to please his father than the man would believe Draco was becoming whom he wanted, and would allow Draco to return to school. He dared not broach the subject in case he angered his father. He was just going to have to wait. Tomorrow he would know for sure whether he would see Seamus again.

As Draco retired to bed that night, he toyed with his bracelet. He was surprised his father hadn't noticed it. For the first week he was home Draco had worn the trinket everywhere. But as time passed paranoia built within him. He knew if his father noticed it he would immediately realise the meaning of the ornament, and then there would have been trouble. Draco had taken to hiding the bracelet in his chest of draws. His father would never bother searching his bedroom, and the house elves would think it were just another piece of jewellery. They would not understand the significance of the snakes and lions, and they would never think to mention the item to Lucius. Draco had taken to only wearing the object when he was alone.

As he toyed with the circlet he thought about Seamus. He would do anything to be able to see the Gryffindor again. It terrified Draco to think that he might never see the other boy again. When he woke up tomorrow he would know for certain whether he would return to Hogwarts. He fell asleep, dreading the possibilities.

When Seamus arrived at platform 9 ¾ the next day he scanned the platform vainly, looking for sign of Draco. It was hopeless; there were far too many people. Even if Draco were there, there was no way Seamus was going to be able to find him. Besides, if Draco were there Lucius would be there as well. Seamus didn't want to push his luck. He could wait until he arrived at school to go looking for his boyfriend. As Seamus boarded the train he felt his excitement building. He was going back to school. He was going to see Draco again. He couldn't keep the smile off his face.

When Draco awoke that morning he immediately knew something was wrong. At first he didn't know what it was. As his sleep induced haze dispersed, he realised what was wrong. There was too much light in his room. It must have been around half past ten. If he had been returning to school his mother would have ensured that he had risen long before now. He was not returning to Hogwarts. The realisation made his heart sink. He wanted to curl up and die. Instead he rose and trudged his way to breakfast.

He arrived at breakfast and took his usual seat at the far end of the table to his father. The usual morning greeting ensued. He dared not mention school. He refused to give his father the satisfaction of knowing he was depriving Draco of something he wanted. His father would only be pleased to know Draco was disappointed. As they finished breakfast Draco felt he could no longer avoid the subject.

"What will we be doing today?" he asked his father, hoping his tone sounded the same as it did every other day. "Yesterday you said you wanted me to work on my potions."

"You will not be doing that today. Today we will be preparing for a visitor we will be having tomorrow." his father replied impassively. He paused, waiting to see how his son reacted. "Lord Voldemort will be coming. As you are not going to be returning to school we have decided that now will be the perfect time for you to demonstrate your loyalties."

Draco froze in shock. If he hadn't been so stunned he would not have been able to keep the fear from his expression. After a moment he nodded his head in agreement. If his father had noticed Draco's pause, he did not show it. Instead he smiled pleasantly at his son. Draco found it ironic that the one thing he would ever do that would impress his father, was the last thing he would ever want to do. He felt trapped. He would rather die than become that. One small rational part of his brain told him that that was what it might come to.

As the Hogwarts Express headed towards Scotland Seamus managed the find the carriage inhabited by Harry and Ron. As time passed Seamus' anxiety grew. When Ron headed off to the bathroom Seamus cornered Harry. He questioned the other boy about whether he had seen Draco b Harry just shook his head.

"Do you think Lucius found out about the pair of you?" Harry asked. Seamus shrugged. He did not know what to think. "If Lucius wanted the truth I don't think there is anyway Draco could lie to him." Sensing the torment this caused his friend Harry changed his viewpoint. "You know it might be nothing. We may have just missed him at the Station. And it's not as though either of us has gone looking for him since we boarded the train. Maybe you are just worrying about nothing."

Seamus nodded. He hoped Harry was right. He didn't think he could cope with the alternative. He knew life would be hell for Draco if he was left in the charge of his father. Seamus knew Lucius would have no moral qualms about breaking the spirit of his own son. Lucius would do anything to get what he wanted. Seamus spent the rest of the train ride brooding, worrying about the safety of his boyfriend.

Seamus arrived at school and headed for the Great Hall for dinner. He took his seat at the Gryffindor table and watched as the other students filed in. He watched as each person took their seat. As the hall filled Seamus became concerned that he had not yet seen Draco. When the flow of people stopped Seamus looked across at the Slytherin table. Draco was not there. Dumbledore began the sorting ceremony and Seamus heart sank. The Sorting Ceremony was never started until all students had taken their seats. Draco was still not there. Something had to be wrong. Lucius could not have possibly found out about him and Draco, could he? Seamus tried to shake the thought from his head. When the sorting ceremony had finished Seamus rose quietly and walked outside to get some fresh air.

Outside he ran into Snape. Seamus did not like the man, but if anyone knew what had happened to Draco, he would. He approached the professor and received a bone-chilling glare.

"Excuse me Professor," Seamus began, trying not to allow his discomfort show "I noticed that Draco Malfoy was not present at dinner. Would you know where he is?" Snape glared at the boy for a while before responding.

"His father has decided to home school him. You of all people should have realised that." Fear for the other boy developed in Seamus' eyes and only served to increase Snape's anger. "It is a little late for you to show concern now. You should have thought about the consequences of your actions long ago. You were warned to stay away from Malfoy but you did not listen. You were aware of what would happen to him if you did not stay away, but, as always you showed no regard for the welfare of others. You selfishness astounds me. Even now you are surprised that all this has happened. It is time you were held accountable for your actions. Draco Malfoy is in this situation and you are solely responsible."

Snape turned and left disgusted. As Seamus watched the man's retreating back the words sunk in. Seamus' stomach knotted as he realised every word of what the Professor had said was true. Draco was in a lot of trouble, and Seamus was solely responsible.


	16. escape

Chapter 16 Escape

As Draco sat down to dinner he glanced across the table at his father. He could not believe this was happening. He contemplated where he thought he should have been. If he had been at school he would have been watching the sorting ceremony at this moment. He would have been seated between Crabbe and Goyle, facing towards the Gryffindor's table. Seamus would have been seated across from him at the Gryffindor's table. They had always sat so that if the looked up they could gaze directly at one another. Small things like that had always meant a lot to Draco. His chest contracted and he pushed all thoughts of Seamus and school from his mind. It was too painful. The only way he was going to cope with this situation was by avoiding all thoughts of what he had lost.

Draco dragged his way through dinner. As the day had worn on, his spirits had fallen. All that had kept him going through the summer break was the thought of returning to school, and more importantly, returning to Seamus. Now that hope was going he had nothing left. As they were finishing dinner Lucius turned to his son.

"Now Draco, tomorrow is going to be a very important day. Tomorrow you will have the opportunity to prove your worth. I realise now that at Christmas you were not ready to make this commitment. However, I have spent the summer holidays preparing you for what is to happen tomorrow, and I feel confident that you are ready for this next stage of your life. You are being bestowed with quite an honour. Lord Voldemort usually has no time for people of your age. It is a mark of your maturity and your upbringing that he is allowing you to become one of his servants. I hope you can live up to the expectations."

When his father had finished, Draco excused himself and returned to his bedroom. He lay on his bed and contemplated what was going to happen the next day. It occurred to him that he was about to become everything people expected him to be. Draco felt his skin crawl. Maybe when he was younger this is what he wanted. But not now. Now he understood exactly what it meant to become a Deatheater. He knew exactly what they stood for. Something inside him snapped and he knew that he could not go through with this.

He stood and extracted his darkest cloak from his wardrobe. He had to leave. He could not just sit and wait. He did not even worry about the consequences if he were caught. If it was his destiny to become a Deatheater then he was not going to give up without a fight. He was not going to let Fate rule his life. He was going to make a run for it.

Draco was not sure where he was going to go, but anywhere was better than facing this possibility. He locked his bedroom door, hoping it would delay any search for him. If they thought he was asleep they would not chase after him. As he opened his window and climbed out he thought of nothing other than getting as far from Malfoy Manor as possible.

He fled across the lawns and paused on the outskirts of the surrounding forest. He turned back for one last fleeting glance at his home. Why had his life turned out like this? Other people believed that he had everything he had ever wanted. If that was true, then why did he always feel that everything he had was worthless? He had always felt the most important things had been missing from his life.

Draco turned his back on his home and his life, and fled into the welcoming darkness of the forest.

Lucius had been less than impressed at his son's behaviour at dinner. Something strange had been happening to his son over the last year. It was almost as if Draco no longer wanted to become a Deatheater. Lucius suppressed that horrendous thought. Lucius blamed the boy's reluctance on the influence of Albus Dumbledore. Lucius had been trying to remove the headmaster from his role for years, but to no avail. He had known for years that having Dumbledore as the Headmaster of Hogwarts would only mean trouble. It was a shame Lucius had so much difficulty convincing the other school governors. Regardless of whether Draco wanted it to happen, he was going to become a Deatheater. Lucius had decided he was going to try and make as pleasant as possible for the boy. After all, he was his son. Even if they didn't have the closest of relationships, Lucius still wanted the best for the boy.

This was why late that night Lucius found himself heading towards his son's bedroom. The last time he had walked this route was shortly after his son's return from school. He was hoping this would be a far more pleasant encounter.

As he reached Draco's room, he turned the doorknob and pushed. The door would not budge. Lucius' anger flared. How dare the boy lock him out of a part of his own house! What made the insolent brat think he had that right! The boy showed absolutely no gratitude for the pain his father endured to make his son's life so pleasant. Lucius removed his wand from his robes and blasted the door open. As the smoke cleared he looked through the doorway to see the room was empty. Lucius' anger dared to flare again but he suppressed it, and instead a deathly calm rationality washed over him.

He looked around the room; one swift glance was all the investigation he required. The door had been locked from the inside. He knew that before he had entered. The window stood open, a slight breeze blowing the curtains in Lucius' general direction. Lucius smirked. How far did the boy think he was going to flee? Draco had never quite mastered the art of apperation. Until now Lucius had only ever though of this inability as a disappointment. Now it had sealed the boy's fate. Lucius removed a tattered old teddy bear from its place on the mantle and headed towards his study. The boy was not going to get far.

Draco sat beneath a large oak tree to rest. He had been walking for a couple of hours. It had been a long day and he was both physically and emotionally exhausted. He needed sleep but he didn't dare. He knew he needed to flee as far as he could as quickly as possible. It was only a matter of time before his father realised he was missing and began searching.

Draco leant against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes. As he considered some of the things his father had forced him to do he became disgusted with himself. The things he had done were disgusting; unforgivable. If Seamus knew what Draco had been doing over the summer break even he might not be able to accept him. How had life degenerated to the point where he was this desperate? As he sat there he subconsciously began toying with his bracelet. He missed Seamus more than he had ever thought possible. He would give anything to be able to talk to the other boy. As he sat there he could almost feel Seamus' presence. It was almost as if he could hear the other boy's voice.

Lucius sat in his study behind his desk. Upon the desk he had spread a map of the general area surround Malfoy Manor. In one hand he held a crystal dangling on a chain. In the other he held the tattered teddy bear. When Draco had been a child he had loved that bear more than any other toy he had ever owned. Any object that well loved retains traces of the owner's essence for years. This was going to make it incredibly easy to find Draco.

Lucius dangled the crystal over the map and closed his eyes. He concentrated on his son and created an image of the boy in his mind. He felt the crystal's string vibrating as the crystal pulled, searching for the boy. The crystal swung, until suddenly it pulled vehemently in one direction, landing on the map. Lucius opened his eyes and smirked. He knew exactly where the boy would be. Lucius withdrew his wand and apperated out of the Manor.

Seamus lay on his bed brooding. Harry felt for him. The blond boy had told him about his encounter with Snape, and Harry knew that Seamus would be feeling responsible for what was happening to Draco. He watched as Seamus fiddled with something around his wrist.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked, certain of the answer. Seamus sighed and looked across at the other boy.

"Draco." He paused for a moment. "I just wish I could talk to him. Just once so I could be sure that he is all right. I hate to think that he could be in any danger." Seamus lay thinking about the other boy. He would give anything to be able to talk to Draco. Not knowing what had happened to the Slytherin hurt more than Seamus could have imagined. If he had known the other boy was safe there would not have been a problem.

As Seamus lay wishing he could talk to Draco, he imagined the other boy sitting on the floor in front of him. When Harry stood up started, Seamus realised he wasn't imagining it. Draco was there. Or at least an image of him was. The boy sitting on the floor was slightly transparent, similar in appearance to the castle ghosts. Harry walked around the ghost-like apparition and looked questioningly towards Seamus. Seamus shook his head. He didn't understand either.

"Draco?" he called softly.

"Draco?"

At the sound of Seamus' voice Draco's eye flew open. He looked in front of him and could not believe what he was seeing. It was Seamus. But something was not right. In the dark it was hard to tell, but Draco realised what it was. The vision in front of his was transparent. It wasn't really there in the same way as a ghost was a substantial being. Draco could see the boy, but he knew that if he tried to touch Seamus his had would glide right through him.

"Seamus? Is that really you?" Draco didn't dare believe what he was seeing "Where are you?" The mirage in front of him smiled.

"Yes it's really me. I am at school. Where are you? How are you? Are you all right?" There were so many things Seamus wanted to say to the other boy, but he didn't know where to start. He didn't really understand what was occurring, but he realised that he was being granted his wish to talk to his boyfriend.

Draco smiled. "I have run away. If I remained at home father was going to force me to become a Deatheater. You know better than anyone that I do not want that. I wanted to resist, but there was nothing I could do. If I didn't do what father wanted when he wanted, he would torture me and then use Imperius to force me to do it." his smile faded. "The things he did to me were bad, but they were nothing compared to what he forced me to do. After everything I have done I am not sure if Dumbledore will even allow me to return to school. I have to try and convince him to allow me to stay. I don't have anywhere else to go. Nowhere that I will be safe. I don't want to be like that Seamus. I never have. I don't think I could live with myself if I became one of _them_." Draco closed his eyes "I'm not sure if I can really live with myself now…"

Draco stood and walked towards the illusion. Seamus extended a hand to the other boy. They touched fingers, and to both boys, the image in front of them felt almost solid. Draco sighed. Seamus had seemed so near, but he was forced to acknowledge that the other boy was far away. Draco was gong to need a lot of luck to travel that far without being discovered.

Harry was incredulous. He could hardly believe what was happening. If Seamus hadn't been seeing it as well he would not have believed any of this was really happening.

"Seamus, do you know what's happening?" the Irish boy broke his stare at his boyfriend to look at Harry.

"What is it? What's going on?" Draco sounded worried. Obviously he could only see Seamus.

"It's okay, it's just Harry. Where are you Draco?"

"I'm in the forest near my home." Draco was terrified yet strangely excited "I'm actually doing it Seamus! I am actually standing up to my father! I'm not going to let him dictate my life anymore. I am going to be the person I want to be. The first step in that process is to get as far from my father as possible…"

Seamus beamed. He knew he had been right. Regardless of what anyone else thought, Draco really was a good person. The only thing that had ever been holding him back was his fear of his father. Now Draco was going to prove the other boy right, and show the world just who he really was. After this no one would believe that he was a 'malicious, evil, exploitative, noxious brat.' Seamus' mother might even find it in her to respect the young Slytherin. Seamus looked over at Harry with a distinct 'I told you so' look on his face. The other boy just nodded. Recently Harry had come to realise that perhaps there was more to Draco than he had ever believed possible. A voice inside Harry's mind whispered to him that perhaps Draco wasn't entirely aware of all that was involved in what he was trying to do. Harry knew that the other boy was going to need all the help he could get if he was going to go through with this.

"…I am actually standing up to my father! I'm not going to let him dictate my life anymore. I am going to be the person I want to be. The first step in that process is to get as far from my father as possible…"

Hearing those words poor out of his son's mouth angered Lucius. For someone with such a strong hold over his emotions he was shocked by how angry he was feeling. If he had felt betrayed by his son when he had discovered the relationship Draco was having with the mud-blood it was nothing compared to the betrayal he felt now. After everything he had done to provide his son with a good home and a good upbringing, his son repaid him like this. It was not acceptable, and Lucius was not going to allow the insolent brat to get away with this. Lucius crept up behind his son and placed a hand on the teens shoulder.

"Father!"

"Father!"

Seamus and Harry's attention was immediately redrawn to the image of Draco. As they watched a hand appeared on Draco's shoulder which was slowly connected to the rest of Lucius Malfoy. This could not be good.

"You didn't really think I would allow you to insult me like this do you?" Lucius scolded, apparently unaware of the image of Seamus. "You had the choice to make this easy for yourself, but you just destroyed that. You could have just done as I had asked and enjoyed it. You are such a selfish brat that you couldn't even do that. Well you no longer have a choice. You are going to do as I say and I will not tolerate arguments. If you are not become involved willingly we have ways of forcing you. If you are not willing to fight for your Lord you will be forced to regardless. And with the treatment you will endure, you will soon be wishing that you had been a little more compliant."

With that Lucius firmed his grip on his son, and he disapperated. The imaged faded. Seamus and Harry looked at each other. This had gone well and truly beyond their ability to handle.


	17. Meetings

Chapter 17 – Meetings

"We have to go and see Dumbledore." Harry insisted "We cannot cope with this on our own." Seamus nodded absentmindedly. He wasn't really listening; he was too busy worrying about his boyfriend. Draco had said that his father had been torturing him. If that was how Lucius treated the boy when he thought Draco was being obedient, what was he going to do now that Draco had openly defied him? It couldn't possibly bode well for the boy. They had to do something. And quickly. Seamus followed Harry out of the dorm, his heart racing. He just hoped that they would be able to help Draco before his father did anything to him. They had only hours it which to save the other boy. Seamus followed blindly as Harry led him along the long, empty corridors towards Dumbledore's office.

Harry led Seamus breathless into Dumbledore's office. The two boys caught their breath while the headmaster looked at them questioningly. Normally would have been displeased by such an intrusion, but he sensed something was wrong so he waited patiently for the boys the regain their composure. Considering the blond boy's relationship with Draco Malfoy, and the Slytherin's absence from the school, there could only possibly be trouble brewing.

"Sir," Seamus whispered desperately "Something just happened. It happened in our dorm. Something which I really need to tell you about…"

As soon as they apperated into his study, Lucius turned and struck his son. How dare the insolent boy dishonour him and his family like that! He owed his father respect and obedience. If anyone knew of his disrespect and his lack of will to fight for what was right, it would bring sham on the Malfoy name. His son was a coward, and worse, a _mud-blood lover. _The thought made Lucius cringe. No one is his extended family's history had anyone ever been inflicted wit that trait. It was just not acceptable! Well, no one except Draco's uncle, that bloody Sirius Black. The useless bastard had got himself locked in Azkaban for something he hadn't even done. And Lucius could blame Narcissa for that. Sirius was a Black, NOT a MALFOY.

Lucius glared down at his son, his heart filled with loathing. How could the boy do this to him. How could the boy have turned out this way, with all the careful tuition Lucius had been plying on him from birth. If it wasn't for the fact that Draco looked more Malfoy than Black, Lucius would have suspected his mother had cheated on him. As it was there was no denying that the boy was his son, and that only angered Lucius even more. He hated the thought that a true, pure-blooded Malfoy could behave the way his son did.

Draco sat in a heap on the floor where he had fallen after his father had struck him. How could his father do this to him? Weren't parents supposed to love their children unquestionable, and protect them from all harm? What had gone wrong in their father/son relationship for all this to happen? Why was his father trying to do this to him? Why was his father trying to turn him into something and someone he didn't want to be? Draco glared at his father, angry at what was being done to him. Why was his father so determined to cause destruction? Why couldn't he appreciate what surrounded him, rather they trying to change everything?

Father and son glared at each other, their anger and resentment adding tension to the air. Neither was willing to give in to the other. Deep down, Draco knew that he could never win, but was going to fight to the end. He had passed the point of no return and he was no longer going to just do what his father wanted. For the first time in his life, he was determined to do what was right. He owed Seamus at least that much.

As he glared at his son, Lucius suddenly realised that the boy would no longer submit willingly to his father. He was going to have to force the boy. There was a small voice inside Lucius' head that told him it was wrong to torture his son in the way he tortured his enemies. This voice only angered the rest of him and made him more violent and resentful of Draco. Why couldn't the boy just see the light? Why was he forcing his father to treat him this way? He didn't want to treat his son this way, but he had to. He had to force Draco to understand what was right.

"I won't do it." Draco had risen to his feet and stood defiantly. He held his chin high, and Lucius realised that the boy was actually _proud _of what he was doing. He understood the full implications of what he was doing, and that was worse than if Draco had been acting out of misunderstanding.

"Oh yes you will." Lucius snarled "Whether you want to or not. And tomorrow Voldemort will be here to ensure it…" With that Lucius grabbed the boy by the front of his robes, and dragged him out of the office. He knew if he left the boy to his own devices he would just try to escape again. He had no choice. Draco was going to have to be locked in the dungeons…

Seamus was frustrated. He had told Dumbledore everything and had expected the man to react immediately. Instead he had sent for Snape and McGonagal, and Seamus had been forced to retell the lengthy story. Then the three teachers had sent Harry and Seamus from the room while they discussed the best way to deal with the problem. The two boys had been sitting waiting for their teachers to make a discussion for the best part of an hour. When the boys were finally readmitted to Dumbledore's office, the teachers merely told them the Ministry was going to have to be involved and sent the boys to bed.

That was how Seamus came to be pacing across the floor in the boy's dorm. Harry sat on his own bed and watched. He felt for his friend. He hated to see Seamus like this. He had also come to think a lot more positively of Draco and he hated to think what the other boy was being forced to endure. He knew the Slytherin could be stubborn, but even Draco could not withstand the sort of torment Lucius and Voldemort would extol. As the dim light of dawn broke through the gap in their curtains, both boys knew that someone would have to do something for Draco. Today would be the young Slytherin's last chance to escape from the evils of the Dark side. If he wasn't saved today, like Snape he would never be entirely free. Seamus looked over at Harry in desperation.

"I need to do something Harry" the other boy only nodded "I can't just leave him to deal with this on his own. I have to at least try." Silently Harry walked over to his corner of the dorm. He produced his broom and his invisibility cloak.

"Here." he said as he handed to objects to his friend "Take these. You will need them if you are going to leave the school. Do you know how you are going to find him?" Seamus shook his head.

"No, but I will. I don't know how, but something inside me is telling me that I will be able to find him, and that I will be the only one who can help him." Harry nodded.

"Go," he whispered, afraid of waking the other boys "he needs you and you don't have any time to waste."

Draco had never felt this helpless and alone is his entire life. His whole body ached, especially his arms. He could not believe the situation he was in. When his father had found him he had been afraid of what the man would do, but now he realised that he hadn't been afraid enough. He had thought his father would lock him in his room and attempt to brain wash him. In the back of his mind there had always been a voice which told Draco his father would never _really _hurt him. It appeared that voice had been wrong.

As soon as they had arrived home his father had marched Draco down to the dungeons. Even then he thought his father was trying to scare him. Lucius had begun a tirade about how ungrateful Draco was, and had told the boy that he owed his father much more respect. He had lectured the same old prejudiced views about fighting for what was right and good. As Lucius plundered his way through his admonishment he realised his son was not listening. He saw Draco glaring defiantly at him, and it angered the father. He struck Draco, and the boy flew across the room, slamming into the cold hard stone wall. As his head struck the stone painfully, Draco started to become concerned. He wasn't surprised his father had hit him. That was a common enough occurrence in their relationship. But never before had Lucius hit him quite that hard. Proud as ever, Draco had not allowed his fear to show. He now wondered if perhaps a little subservience would have earned him slightly more gently handling. It was doubtful.

Lucius had noticed his son's apparent absence of fear, and had interpreted it as a lack of respect. This had anger the man even more. The boy must have been stupid not to realise how serious this situation was. he had to be punished, and he had to be taught the right way to behave. It was for his own good. He had to learn how to make the world a better place. Lucius grabbed the front of Draco's robes and hoisted the boy to his feet. He didn't want to do this, but the boy had left him no other option. He ripped of Draco's robe and shirt, leaving him in just his trousers, and chained the boy to the dungeon wall.

Draco was unable to contain his fear any longer. This was not right. How could his father do this? Surely he wasn't serious? Lucius lectured the boy on what he expected, but Draco wasn't really listening. He was in a state of shock. This had to be a horrible nightmare. There was no way the last day could have really occurred. He kept hoping he would wake up and the whole situation would turn out to be a horrible dream. A voice in the back of his head told him this wasn't a dream, and as he watched his father's retreating back disappear behind the door, that one lonely voice grew louder.

As Seamus walked along the darkened tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow, a voice in his mind told him that the situation was hopeless. How was he going to find one lone, lost boy in all of England? How would he ever be able to find Draco before it was too late? In his heart he knew he had only a matter of hours. After that it would be too late, and Draco would no longer be the same.

Even as these pessimistic thoughts threatened to consume him, Seamus knew that he was the other boy's only chance. No one else would be organised and ready to fight for the boy before it was too late to save him. No one else would really care enough to try. Too many people, whether intentionally or subconsciously would allow the boy to endure this horrendous fate. Seamus was not going to let it happen. Even if the task proved to be colossal, he was going to try. Seamus was going to fight for the other boy even if no one else would. The combination of the dark and his distraction meant that Seamus did not notice the other individual in the tunnel until he had tripped over him.

"Lumos." As Seamus' wand lit, the prostate form of Dobby could be seen lying on the floor. Seamus groaned. This was all he needed. The world's most incompetent house-elf was getting in his way and distracting him. He didn't have time for this. He tried to move past the house-elf would not allow him to continue his journey. Seamus sighed.

"What do you want Dobby?"

"Seamus Finnegan must come with Dobby sir." Seamus couldn't believe it. He was trying to save his boyfriend and this house-elf was trying to stop him.

"I don't have time for this. I have to go find someone." He tried to push past, but Dobby wasn't finished with him yet.

"Harry Potter sent Dobby sir." Seamus was astounded. What had Harry been thinking? He of all people should have known how frustrating the house-elf was. "Harry Potter sent Dobby sir, because Dobby knows where Draco Malfoy lives!"

Seamus came to life with understanding. Why hadn't he thought of it? Dobby had been a slave to the Malfoys, so of course he would know how to get there. Harry had gone and found the one person who would be able to help Seamus on his quest, and Dobby would aid Seamus with unquestioning loyalty. As Seamus led Dobby out of the tunnel into the Shrieking Shack, he realised that maybe his quest wasn't quite as futile as he had thought.

Lucius stood in the front hall of his house wearing his best set of dress robes. Lord Voldemort would be arriving soon. He was coming early which was probably for the best considering the new 'problem.' Lucius was so ashamed of his son and he dreaded having to inform his liege of the problem, but if Voldemort couldn't set the boy right no one would. As he stood contemplating how he was going to explain his trouble with his son, Lucius noticed the air in front of him began to shimmer. As he stood watching, the form of Lord Voldemort appeared.

Lucius was slightly insulted. It was the height of rudeness in the wizarding world to apperate into someone's house even if you were expected. It was considered polite to knock on the front door and to allow you host to permit you into the house. Voldemort may be the descendant of Salazar Slytherin, but Lucius was a Malfoy. He belonged to a long line of respected wizards and witches, and he expected that even Voldemort would do him the honour of allowing him to welcome his liege to his house. Lucius bowed low and respectfully to ensure his resentment did not show. Lucius was a powerful wizard, but he did not fancy his chances against Voldemort, the most powerful wizard of the age. As Lucius rose from his bow, Voldemort raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I would have thought your son would have been enthusiastic to welcome a guest such as myself, even at this late hour." Lucius sighed. There was no avoiding the issue.

"There has been a slight problem…" as he led Voldemort into his sitting room he confessed his dilemma.

Harry sat in the common room feeling a little tense. How could he have let Seamus go off on his own like that? Oh sure he had sent Dobby to help the other boy, that that really only ensured that Seamus would find his way to Malfoy Manor, which in turn only ensured that he would find himself in trouble. He had been incredibly stupid. At least if Harry had of gone with him, he could have prevented Seamus doing anything too rash. As he sat contemplating his mistake, Harry heard the portrait hole creak open. He turned around and was surprised to see Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic standing in the doorway.

"Where is young master Finnegan?" Dumbledore queried. Harry looked away. He could not maintain eye contact with the professor knowing that he was at least partially responsible for the other boy's present predicament. Harry's lack of response seemed to be all that Dumbledore needed. He turned to the Minister. "We are going to have to do something now. Even if you believe that we shouldn't be interfering with the Malfoy's, we have a responsibility to look after this boy."

The other man nodded. They left the room leaving Harry alone again. He sighed. There ad to be something he could do to help the two boys. As he sat there he was struck with an exceptional idea. He rushed to his dorm to find a suitable object.

In the dungeons of Malfoy Manor, Draco's apprehension of the situation increased. How on earth has he allowed himself to become trapped in this situation? Surely his father would return soon and reveal that this was all just some horrible trick to make Draco submit to his father's will. Surely his father wasn't going to leave him chained to the wall all night. As he saw his father return he was momentarily relieved. Until he realised who was accompanying his father.

"Well, Draco, we meet again." Voldemort drawled with a voice that sent shivers down the young boy's spine. Voldemort was the only man Draco had ever met whom he found more intimidating than his own father. He shrank back against the wall in a vain attempt to move as far from the other man as possible. "I have returned and it is time for you to fulfil your promise."

"No." the word was whispered, but it was muttered with a determination that stunned both Lucius and Voldemort. Realising the power this surprise provided him with, Draco spoke louder "No. I won't do it. I will never become like that."

Voldemort quickly recovered from his surprised and smirk maliciously. The boy seemed to think that he had a choice in the matter. If he had allowed people to have a _choice _Voldemort would never have gained so many supporters.

"Oh yes you will." he replied "You may not realise yet, but you will soon. You don't have a choice. You don't get to _choose _who or what you become. You will be and do whatever I want. It is not only you, but the entire wizarding community who will soon realise this."

"I know enough to realise that your loyalty and control spells that accompany the Dark Mark are weak if the bearer does not agree to be party to your actions." Voldemort laughed at the boy's defiance. He really had no idea what he was about to endure.

"By the time I am finished with you, you will be wishing you had agreed to swear your allegiance to me. It will become the deepest desire in your heart." Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Draco. "_Crucio_."


End file.
